In the centenary year of Noémia de Sousa's birth (1926-2002), young poets and cultural promoters from the Mafalala neighborhood in Maputo are calling for concrete actions to immortalize the legacy of the so-called "mother of Mozambican poets." The proposals include naming streets, avenues, schools, and libraries after her, as well as reissuing scattered texts and publishing unpublished correspondence. Poet Álvaro Taruma believes that Noémia's book needs to be circulated so that people become curious about this figure.
Noémia de Sousa was born on September 20, 1926, in Catembe, and was the first Black woman to publish poetry in Mozambique. Her writing, produced mostly between 1948 and 1951, became a symbol of resistance to Portuguese colonialism and affirmation of Black identity, focusing on slave labor, women's condition, and African identity. Taruma lamented that the author remains less known than contemporaries such as José Craveirinha or Rui Nogar.
Ivan Laranjeira, responsible for the Mafalala Museum — an institution that houses a library named after the writer — explains that the author's prolonged exile contributed to the lesser dissemination of her work. Although she published only one book during her lifetime, the collection "Sangue Negro" edited in 2001 by the Association of Mozambican Writers, her impact remains central. The museum is promoting a centenary commemorative program that includes lectures at various schools in Maputo.
Noémia de Sousa died on December 4, 2002, in Cascais, but her poetry continues to inspire new voices in Lusophone literature. The new generation of Mozambican writers is demanding greater visibility for her legacy through her inclusion in curricular programs and the organization of literary gatherings focused on encouraging women's writing.
