Workshop by Mariléa de Almeida
About this event
In Brazil, the image of quilombos has long been used to evoke anti-racist resistance, in addition to providing a model of society to be followed. Until the 20th century, the predominant sense of quilombola resistance valued male experiences in terms of virility, violence and strength. However, in recent decades, we are witnessing changes in these meanings. The presentation explores the historical process of visibility and recent recognition of the role of quilombola women in the struggle for land, whose actions have expanded the repertoire of the anti-racist confrontation, as well as the projects of democracy in the country.
To carry out the research, 50 people living in quilombos were interviewed, especially black women. They were of different ages and different academic backgrounds. Through the conversations, it was possible to see how these women created resistance strategies in the face of racism and sexism. Through the re-elaboration of pain and trauma, women have created strategies to protect their ancestral ways of life.
Mariléa de Almeida is a Historian and psychoanalyst. She holds a PHD in History at Unicamp (2018) and completed a doctoral fellowship at Columbia University (2015). She started her career in the education of deaf people, passing through Basic Education and also higher education. Since 2007, she has been researching contemporary quilombola communities in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, she articulates the methodology of oral history with the reflections proposed by black women, philosophy and psychoanalysis. She is author of the book Devir quilomba: antirracismo, afeto e política nas práticas de mulheres quilombolas.(Elefante, 2021)
Image Description: headshot of Mariléa de Almeida, smiling at the camera, wearing yellow earrings and a red polka-dot top.
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