Black women march against racism on the 30th in Rio

The Marcha das Mulheres Negras 2023, which will take place on the 30th, on Copacabana Beach, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro, has as its theme Black women united against racism, against all forms of oppression, violence, and for the good life. It will be the ninth edition of the act, which will also close the celebrations for Black Women’s Day, instituted by state law on July 25th. The event brings in this year’s edition some demands. Among them, the creation of strategies to survive the racism of which “black people, in the last four years, have become the target, in every way”, Clatia Vieira, one of the organizers of the march, told Agência Brasil. “The growth and strengthening of racism was a very frightening thing and it happened because racists had support in the management of the federal government”. Black Women’s March, on the edge of Copacabana – Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil The issue of hunger, violence and black youth, who, according to Clatia, are very vulnerable will also be highlighted in the march. The event will also address issues of housing, work and mental health. “Let’s talk about a government that looks at the black population, not as a population of poor men and women, but as part of Brazilian society, and that needs to be treated as citizens”. For this, Clatia emphasizes the need to enforce the Federal Constitution and the dignity of the black people. Living well With regard to living well, Clatia explained that it is a matter of everyday construction, “which is living well as a concept of conditions of human dignity of life. Because the black population is exposed and abused every day, not because we are women or young people, but because we are black”. For Clatia Vieira, this is a racist ideology that has taken shape and body and has drastically affected the lives of the black population. “Not that it had already been resolved, but we had a balance on this issue. We lost. this gap [lacuna] of five years gave a lot of strength to racist policies. I can say that [o racismo] was normalized, and this gives strength for people to continue behaving in this way, as we have been following”. The current political scenario, with the change in the federal government, allows the black population to breathe, believes Clatia Vieira. “Because we were too afraid to go out into the streets, because people were attacked for being black, for having black hair”. She also recalled the persecution of umbanda terreiros, which constitute religious racism. “We were living a process that democracy was not worth”, she denounces. Clatia said that the four years of the previous government will not be resolved in a single administration of the current government, “because the anti-democratic policies took a lot of body”. Although the former president of the Republic became ineligible, he left undemocratic, racist policies, she said. “And this greatly affects the black population and, in particular, black women”. Now, Clatia sees the need to take to the streets to claim, from democracy, that it be minimally respected. Black Women’s March, on the Copacabana waterfront – Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil Autonomia “We don’t see that in the Legislature, which, in order to fight the government, puts agendas related to the poorest population, which is the black population”. Political instability is an issue that black women intend to reverberate within the march. Another issue that will be raised, according to Clatia, is that democracy is not relative. “There is awareness that democracy for the black people is still far from being viable, not least because it is a democracy made by the white people. But it is still a democracy that gives you the right to express yourself, to dialogue, to propose. And we want to guarantee this democracy”. On the agenda for the visibility of black women, Clatia highlighted that the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was committed to giving this visibility. “One of the things we are going to demand is our seat on the Federal Supreme Court. Because you can’t say that everyone is the same and, when power comes, we stay out”. During the march, black women will raise not only national issues, but also regional ones, brought by black women from each municipality in Rio de Janeiro. Tributes Professor Helena Theodoro, retired radio broadcaster for Rádio MEC – Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil The Marcha das Mulheres Negras, the Forum of Black Christian Women and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and retired radio broadcaster for Rádio MEC in Rio de Janeiro Helena Theodoro will be honored this Saturday (22) by the Commission of Journalists for Racial Equality (Cojira-Rio) of the Union of Professional Journalists of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro January (SJMRJ). Clatia Vieira received the tribute with satisfaction. “If there hadn’t been journalists like you, who contributed a lot, I don’t know if we would have made this crossing”. She also admits that the press can get in the way, as was the case with digital media that propagated contrary ideological issues, which they invented to justify anti-democratic and violent acts. In her assessment, the homage paid by Cojira-RJ means the strengthening of the struggle of black women, highlighting the importance of a responsible press, which also suffered violence, but which continued with its professional commitment. For Clatia, the power of the press directly affects the formation and construction of politics. Sandra Martins, co-founder and member of Cojira-RJ, told Agência Brasil that the three characters who will be honored this year have been involved with the commission’s work for a long time. Both the Black Women’s Forum and the Black Women’s March “always supported our claims to make communication also responsible in the fight against racism”. Sandra pointed out that journalist Helena Theodoro “has also been on this road with us for a long time”. He recalled that the Radio MEC broadcaster had several radio programs on the station of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), including Origens, to which he invited activists from the black movement and other social movement groups, as was the case of Grupo de Trabalhos André Rebouças (GTAR), the first black movement group within a university, in this case the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). “There is a very expressive trajectory of intersections with these three honorees”, said Sandra Martins.

Agência Brasil