Her-Story: Adbaraya Toya – Dahomean Warrior and Mother of Hayti

Before there was an emperor, there was a warrior woman who raised him.

Discover the remarkable story of Adbaraya Toya, a fearless Dahomean warrior, healer, and protector who would go on to raise and train one of the greatest leaders in Haitian history — General Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the future Emperor of Haiti.

Captured during the transatlantic slave trade, Toya survived the brutal Middle Passage and the horrors of enslavement. But her spirit was never broken. From the powerful Kingdom of Dahomey, where she served as a high-ranking officer among the fierce Mino women warriors, to the hills of Saint-Domingue, her story is one of courage, resistance, and enduring legacy.

This inspiring children’s book introduces readers ages 5–10 to a true heroine whose love, strength, and guidance helped shape the first Black Empire in the Caribbean.