Note from BW of Brazil: In December of 2012, November of 2013, as well as last month, we updated you on the announcement and organization of the 2015 Black Women’s March Against Racism and For Well Being that will take place in the nation’s capital. Unlike movements and marches that held between the 1960s and the early part of the 21st century that were organized with a lot of phone calls, mail, radio and later e-mails, today, social networks are making the organization of such events and movements much easier, as recent mass marches around the world, including in Brazil, have shown recently. The black Brazilian women’s march of 2015 is no different. This brief article goes behind the scenes and talks to the women who are organizing the event.
Technology assists articulation of network against racism
By Cleidiana Ramos
The Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Sisterhood of Our Lady of the Good Death), still active in the Bahian city of Cachoeira (115 km or 71 miles from the capital city of Salvador), is a good example of how black women historically operate in networks to combat racism and its effects. The institution is one of the lessons that disseminate to new experiences such as organizing the I Marcha das Mulheres Negras contra o Racismo, a Violência e pelo Bem-Estar (First Black Women’s March Against Racism, Violence and For Well Being).
The march will be held in (the capital city) Brasilia on May 13, 2015, but the mobilization is already underway through social networks like Facebook. The dissemination of posts about the event became widespread in Facebook profiles and also a stream of information on blogs and websites.
“Using social networking is a way to broaden our discussion to an audience that, in everyday life, we do not have access to,” says Maria Lúcia da Silva, director of the Amma Instituto Psiquê e Negritude (Amma Psyche and Negritude Institute, headquartered in São Paulo.
According to Maria Lúcia, social networks have the potential to surprise on the expansion of the public. The idea is also to encourage diversity of representations. “We want to bring together different perspectives and interventions in the field of politics and culture,” she mentions.
In fact, the information disseminated as much in relation to networks of social movement organizations, as in Facebook profiles, has drawn attention beyond the activist groups.
“Our idea is to form a capillary to bring Brazilian women of various segments and professional categories to participate,” says Valdecir Nascimento, executive coordinator of the Bahian organization Odara. She is part of the Núcleo Impulsor (Core Committee) of the March.
Around the 25th, Salvador will host a launch one of launch activities of the march, starting at 2pm, at Praça Teresa Batista in the historic Pelourinho district. About 500 women coming from ten regions of Bahia will participate.
The idea for the walk came about at the Encontro Ibero Americano de Afrodescendentes (Ibero American Meeting of African Descendants), which brought together representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean in 2010.
The basis of the initiative, which involves several social movement organizations, is to show the importance of black women being inserted into the paths of Brazilian economic development.
“We already have the understanding that without combating racism we will not be able to think about reaching the stage of proper inclusion,” said Valdecir.
Debate
The events in preparation for the march are also enabling discussions on various topics, including those that are new in some aspects, such as the impact of the budget question in the everyday of women.
“There are studies that say that we, black women, pay more taxes than the richest. We are interested in discovering the ways that this percentage can be reversed to our benefit,” she says.
The choice for May 13 is also an action aimed at reframing. It was on this date in 1888 that Princess Isabel signed the Lei Áurea (Golden Law) which abolished slavery. “This is for us the Dia da Denúncia contra o Racismo (day of the denouncement against racism) to combat the idea that the abolition solved the problems caused by slavery,” says Valdecir affirms.
Source: A Tarde
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