Note from BW of Brazil: The highlights of the November Month of Black Consciousness continue. Yesterday, we saw the historic first national March of Black Women take place in the nation’s capital. We also saw You Tube’s Black Beauty Encounter as well as a report about an intriguing documentary on natural black hair and black identity. Of course there’s no way possible for one blog to cover the hundreds of events nationwide commemorating what’s been dubbed “Novembro Negro”, or Black November, but today we’re happy to present the arrival of a woman who is sure to attract attention in activist circles.
The legendary Human Rights icon Malcolm X is cited by many black Brazilians as important historical figure that awakened their consciousness and alerted them to what it meant to be black in an anti-black world. Among Afro-Brazilian activists, the Autobiography of Malcolm X has been widely read the 1992 film directed by Spike Lee is frequently sold on DVD in Afro-Brazilian cultural events.
With such a following, the arrival one of Malcolm X’s daughters, Malaak Shabazz should garner much attention as she arrives in São Paulo today to speak on and discuss issues that her famous father spoke on over fifty years ago: racism and violence against black people. Shabazz’s arrival continues a growing list of African-American activists, authors and celebrities who have come to Brazil, many to address social issues, over the past several years (1).
Malaak Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, will participate in meeting in São Paulo
Courtesy of the Negro Belchior blog
At rapper Dexter’s side, Malaak will discuss the situation of black youth and racial violence in Brazil
Discussing the troubling situation that affects good parcel of young black people, that has homicide as the leading cause of death, especially in people aged 15-29 years old, male, inhabitants of the periphery and metropolitan areas of urban centers. This is one reason that will bring for the first time to Brazil the activist Malaak Shabazz, daughter of the legendary black leader Malcolm X (1925-1965), who became famous in the 1950s/60s in fighting against the US racist regime. The activity is open to the public.
Malaak, an expert on international human rights, has worked at the UN for 29 years and is one of the guests at the side of rapper Dexter speaking at the Seminário Juventude Negra (Black Youth Seminary, which takes place on Thursday, at 2pm in the Galeria Olido auditorium (Avenida São João, 473) downtown. The event is sponsored by the Municipal Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality of São Paulo, as part of the Week of Black Consciousness.
The meeting aims to integrate social agents, opinion leaders and experts around indicators that put young people in situations of exclusion in areas such as education, health and employment, but addressing violence will gain greater prominence.
According to data from the Mapa da Violência 2014: Os Jovens do Brasil (Map of Violence 2014: The Youth of Brazil) report: in 2012, of the 56,337 killed by homicide in Brazil, 53.37% were young. Of these, 77% were black (thus considered the sum of pretos/blacks and pardos/browns) and 93.3% were men. From 2002 to 2012, the number of white youth homicide fell 32.3%, while that of black youths increased 32.4%.
The programming of the Week of Black Consciousness will continue until November 24th and shows, debates, art fairs, crafts and performances by cultural groups in Largo do Paissandu are scheduled. November 20th, starting at 11:30am, in Anhangabaú there will be a great show with artists like Izzy Gordon, Banda Black Rio, Chico César, Nereus Mocotó, Tereza Gama, Leci Brandão, Jorge Aragão, Arlindo Cruz, Alcione and the Vai-Vai Samba School.
About Malaak Shabazz
Malaak Shabazz is the youngest daughter of the global human rights activists Dr. Betty Shabazz and El Haji Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X), and has served on the community of NGOs of the United Nations (UN) for 29 years.
She specializes in international human rights issues, such as “decolonization and the elimination of racism and discrimination, with emphasis on the situation of girls” and “Eradication of violence against women in armed conflicts and climate disasters.” She is also involved with the foundation Worldwide Orphans (WOO), which monitors the conditions of orphaned children in disasters. And through her work with UK-based Human Appeal, she mobilizes international consciousness-raising and humanitarian aid to the Middle East refugees.
Shabazz was invited to attend the 16th Session of the Work Group on People of African Descent in Geneva. She also received a certificate of attendance and participation in the XIX International Congress of Rupestre Art IFRAO 2015, held in Cáceres, Spain.
She was president of the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights for the Elimination of Racism and Discrimination. Malaak Shabazz is an international speaker and one of the leaders of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, theshabazzcenter.net in New York.
Info
Seminário Juventude Negra
Date: November 19th at 2pm
Location: Galeria Olido – Avenida São João, 473 – Downtown
Source: Negro Belchior
Note
- This blog has by no means has covered this entire list, but a few featured here have been director Spike Lee, author Sapphire, actor Will Smith and rapper Kanye West, Civil Rights personalities Joe Beasley and Jesse Jackson, actress Tichina Arnold and Dr. Carl Hart.
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