Did American slaves identify with the religion of their masters?

As a man floats down the Kongo river in the 18th century, his confused thoughts unfold to tell a story of greed, deception, and murder. A skull, some bones, and his recollections reveal the truth about one of Africa's greatest heroines and how she shook the foundations of Catholicism in Africa. Since so many slaves came to America from this region, their experiences, oral history, and beliefs directed their attitudes in the New World.

It is against this background, and the ensuing complex weave of politics, greed, coincidence, misfortune, and human misery that the story of Kimpa Vita must be told. Her sacrifices changed the face of African religion and simultaneously helped shape the destiny of American culture, religion, and the nation's collective persona.

It is a story with a specific time but with a timeless context. The message Kimpa Vita brought invigorated a Kingdom, even as it terrified those in power, making people realize that the faith of early African-Americans didn't depend on the Church or a monarch. Kimpa Vita was a true African heroine whose life directly impacted American culture.