Héritier Lumumba, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, carries a family heritage that spans the Amazon and the Kongo.
Lumumba's path to Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) was defined by the trajectory of his parents.
His mother, a dedicated community organizer preserving the traditional Afro-Brazilian culture of Jongo, and his father, a multidisciplinary performing artist who became a refugee during Angola’s civil war, forged the path for their family’s immigration to Australia.
While his first five years in Australia were spent in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia), Lumumba's formative school years were primarily in Boorloo (Perth, Western Australia).
However, his path led him back to Naarm when he signed with the Collingwood Football Club, marking the start of his professional sports career in the Australian Football League (AFL), the nation's premier sporting league.
Lumumba wasted no time in leaving his mark on the field, quickly becoming an invaluable member of the team's starting lineup in his second year.
Throughout his remarkable career, spanning 223 games, he captivated crowds of over 60,000 (on average) with his exhilarating style of play. He became renowned for his elite ability to turn defense into offense.
Off the field, he blazed a trail by spearheading numerous community initiatives and earned the distinction of being appointed the AFL's first-ever Ambassador for Multiculturalism.
Recognized for his contributions both within and beyond the sporting realm, Lumumba was also appointed as a cultural ambassador for Australia by then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.
In the final three years of his football career, Lumumba fearlessly utilized his platform to expose the systemic racism deeply entrenched within the AFL industry.
Despite initial marginalization by the media and the league, his unwavering denouncements eventually proved to be a catalyst for far-reaching systemic change.
Today, Lumumba resides in Los Angeles, California, and is working in the cannabis Industry within the nonprofit sector and as an entrepreneur.
Additionally, he is currently the Director of High Performance and Strategic Partnerships for the Democratic Republic of Congo's National Rugby
Federation, and is working with the Nation’s Ministry of Sports to harness its enormous athletic potential.
