OUR 2025 THEME

THE WOMAN KINGDOM

W A R R I O R S   O F   T H E   A G O J I E

The Woman King tells the story of the all-female unit of warriors who

protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey, which was one of the most powerful states in the continent of Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

These Female Warriors (The Agojie) train the next generation of recruits and sets them up to be ready for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

The Agojie, warriors from ancient Dahomey, in 1823, were located in present-day Benin, West Africa. The kingdom was marked by centuries of enslavement of black people, most of them destined to Brazilian and Caribbean ports.

These warriors manifested themselves in epic battles on the West Coast of Africa and influenced the struggles of the all-female Mino warriors of the Kingdom. They defeated the Oyo empire and ended the tributary status of Dahomey, stopping the slavery trade and weakening Oyo.

OUR MESSAGE

The message we are bringing to the public in 2025 is about womanhood and sisterhood. It's about the important role that women play in our lives and the heights that women can climb in a primarily male-dominated society.

We pay homage to womanhood, sisterhood, and motherhood. We pay respect to every single woman who has ever walked this earth, as without women, the world would be a very different place.

Woman are the backbone of families and communities. Join us as we embark on a journey of history combined with the fantasy and beauty of African Mythology, highlighting the emancipation of women, and the strength we possess.

While it may seem like our theme is focused solely on women, we also acknowledge the importance of having strong male presence in our lives. Men that support us, empower us and grow with us to achieve all our desires.

With this theme choice, we also honor and appreciate that A’legria itself is a female-owned and operated business. We have come a long way over the years and decades as we think back and reflect on a time when women had no say, no right to vote, no jobs, no financial freedom, and no right to dream. Women were considered submissive to men, and were expected to obey and not speak up.

We have grown so much, but we still have a long way to go.