Black women march against violence and racism in Brazil

Hundreds of women staged a demonstration Monday (Jul. 25) to denounce racism, sexism, genocide, and lesbophobia. They marched in downtown São Paulo. Banners and speeches against violence and racism marked the International Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Women's Day.

The demonstration has also revered Tereza of Benguela, a maroon community leader in the Quariterê quilombo, who lived in the 18th century in what is now Mato Grosso. According to documents of the time, there were more than 100 people in the community—79 of them were blacks, and 30 were indigenous Brazilians.

Mara Lucia Sobral Santos, a 49-year-old recyclable scrap picker, said the demonstration was important for many reasons and can be looked at in a number of perspectives. “I am completely invisible—even nonexistent—in Brazilian society, as a black, lesbian scrap picker who has adopted 26 children,” she told Agência Brasil.

In her view, the biggest problem facing black Brazilian women today is violence. “Black women fall victim to violence more often because of this whole slavery background, and people continue to reproduce that.” In her opinion, education is an important factor in ending racism and sexism in the country.

The International Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Women's Day was established in 1992 at the 1st Meeting of Afro-Latin American and Afro-Caribbean Women, to give visibility and recognition of the existence and the struggles of black women on the continent.

Latinidades

The Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Women's Day was also celebrated by Latinidades festival with balloons, music, and religious ceremonies. Media, with a focus on marketing, journalism, and social media, is the theme of the ninth edition of the event.

This year, the festival will highlight the role of black women and confront racism in the media.

“We want to rethink how media can be used for combating racism and giving visibility to the intellectual, cultural, and legal works of black people more generally, and particularly black women,” said Bruna Pereira, a coordinator at Latinidades. Organizers expect to welcome 2,000 people from around the country to the event, which runs until July 31.

Translated by Mayra Borges