Henrique Dias (d. 1662) was a soldier and militia leader born to freed Black slave parents in what was then the Portuguese colony of Brazil. He led groups of freed slaves with distinction against Dutch colonial forces in the seventeenth century, playing an important role in the First and Second Battles of Guararapes. For his courage and leadership in battle, the Portuguese king made him a knight of the Order of Christ.
(via abstrackafricana)
