Note from BBT: In my previous post I highlighted a new documentary that explores the emergence of black Brazilian women in the political arena in the wake of the murder of Rio city councilwoman Marielle Franco in March of 2018. In fact, the release of the film entitled Sementes: Mulheres Pretas no Poder (Seeds: Black Women in Power) combines two areas in which black Brazilians have been demanding more representation, politics and film. Although black Brazilians have played a major role in making Brazil what it is today, it is still rare to see them or their stories told in the audio-visual realm. This is slowly beginning to change.
Today, we are seeing record numbers of black Brazilians announcing their candidacies for various political offices throughout the nation and black Brazilian directors have made major strides in getting their productions financed and produced. A few days ago, I posted about the Jeferson De film M8 – Quando a morte socorre a vida (When death rescues life) that is due to debut in early December. Sementes: Mulheres Pretas no Poder debuted on YouTube on September 7th, but the dialogue around the film is ongoing. The political movements led by black Brazilian women these days have lead to some great opportunities for dialogue with black women in other countries, including the United States.
One of these opportunities for dialogue across the borders of countries and cultures is scheduled to go down tomorrow, October 29th, and will feature the directors of the Sementes film, the sister of slain Rio city councilwoman Marielle Franco and a professor of Political Science and African-American Studies in the United States. I have always believed that black people need to be able to communicate across borders as our situation as a people is indeed global in nature. If the film or such dialogue sounds like something worth your time, please consider checking out tomorrow night’s event. The details are below.
Sisters Speak: Dialogues between Black Women in Brazil & the United States
Sisters Speak is a digital series of panel discussions that aim to build bridges between Black women in Brazil and the United States and overcome the physical and linguistic barriers that have long separated us. Over the next year, the series will bring together women working in various fields—including politics, health, economic empowerment and social justice/ feminism. Co-produced by journalist Kiratiana Freelon and Founder of Black Women Disrupt, Zakiya Carr Johnson, every event will be simultaneously translated to facilitate meaningful exchange and promote sisterhood.
Event Title: Sementes: Marielle Franco and her Political Legacy
The first Sisters Speak event will address the political legacy of Marielle Franco. In Brazil, Black women felt inspired to run for national and local political positions after the 2018 assassination of Marielle Franco, a queer black councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian panelists will reflect on this political phenomenon, while our American guest will respond to what was shared about Brazil and weave in reflections on how these issues may impact Black women in the United States, drawing similar parallels or contrasts.
LONGER DESCRIPTION
The first Sisters Speak event will address the political legacy of Marielle Franco, a queer black Brazilian councilwoman who fought for the rights of blacks, women, LGBTQ, and the poor. She was viciously assassinated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 14, 2018. Seven months later, in the aftermath of her death, dozens of black women felt inspired and compelled to run for statewide political positions throughout Brazil. Many of them won. And there was a documentary film crew there capturing all of the magic. The resulting documentary film, Sementes: Mulheres Pretas no Poder (Seeds: Black Women in Power), was directed by Éthel Oliveira and Júlia Mariano and debuted in September on Youtube.
Anielle Franco, an English teacher and grassroots organizer, founded Instituto Marielle Franco in 2019 to further her sister’s legacy. In light of Brazil’s upcoming November municipal elections, the organization has launched the Anti-racist platform—a list of actions to change Brazil’s political system. These amazing Brazilian women will be joined by Dr. Nadia Brown, an Associate Professor at Purdue University who specializes in Black women’s politics.
To share this legacy with our community, all registered participants in the Sister-Speak series event – Sementes: Political Legacy of Marielle Franco – October 29th at 7 pm, will receive exclusive access to the documentary directed by panelists Éthel Oliveira and Júlia Mariano with subtitles in English. Join us for an informative and inspirational exchange between sisters on panel from Brazil and the United States. Check out the trailer below!
LINK TO REGISTRATION: http://bit.ly/
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