“I’m not parda (brown/mixed)!: I’m black and I have a right to this identity!”
Note from BW of Brazil: This is always an intriguing debate/discussion and I’ll say it again: I don’t think there will ever be complete consensus […]
blackness
On the lack of crowns: The difficulty of recognizing yourself as a black man when you have straight hair
Note from BW of Brazil: I swear, I never get tired of this topic/debate. For decades, maybe centuries, many Brazilians of color grew up being […]
“Our light-skinned blackness will not be negotiated”: Browns, mestiços and mulattos in the struggle
Note from BW of Brazil: Sometimes when I’m considering a piece that should be covered for this blog, I stumble across interesting other pieces that […]
The black American and the black Brazilian: Distinct forms of blackness, despite identical origins
Note from BW of Brazil: The contrast and the likeness are two of the reasons that made me want to understand the situation of the […]
‘Música Preta Brasileira’ (Black Brazilian Music) and the emergence black aesthetics and politics in a new generation of black female singers
Note from BW of Brazil: It’s amazing the changes I’ve witnessed with the population of black Brazilian women just since starting this blog back in November […]
Classic Brazilian cartoon ‘Monica’s Gang’ will be released as film on June 27th; but why was a child with straight hair chosen to portray a character with kinky hair?
Note from BW of Brazil: Before I get into today’s topic, I want to just mention how the idea of covering it came about. To […]
Contest for black models held in Salvador on June 15th; winners of the Adult Black Beauty category to be featured in Afro Fashion Day
Note from BW of Brazil: Although I am well aware that many people see these types of contests as frivolous, unnecessary and even exploitative displays of […]
With blue eyes and white skin, man fired from job for fraud; articifically darkened skin, wore contact lenses, passed as black to take advantage of quota system
Note: You see, it’s stories like this that making covering stories from Brazil from a racial perspective fun…at least sometimes. If you’re new to racial issues […]
In Brazil, is being black a choice? Two women illustrate why it is so difficult to know exactly how black Brazilians there really are
Note from BW of Brazil: This type of article really gets to the crux of understanding the complexities that come into play if the discussion […]
After criticism of being too light to portray scientist in biopic, actress Taís Araújo steps down: “They’re totally right!”
Note from BW of Brazil: Sometimes it is possible to show one’s character by simply not doing something rather than doing something. When I posted […]
“And me, am I not Brazilian?” Native of São Paulo responds to Brazilians who don’t believe she’s Brazilian because she is dark-skinned
Note from BW of Brazil: So much to say about today’s post, but before I weigh in on it, please take a few minutes and […]
“With white skin and light colored eyes, the defendant doesn’t have the stereotype of a crook,” says judge in sentencing man for attempted car-jacking and murder
Note from BW of Brazil: This is the type of thing that trips me about Brazilians, even among highly educated people. The image of the […]
Protagonist of the blockbuster ‘Cidade de Deus/City of God’ film is now an Uber driver; and this exposes our most perverse racism
Note from BW of Brazil: The years 2012 and 2017 made the 10th and 15th year anniversaries of the release of the film Cidade de […]
“Wakanda is…in Europe”? “The white is black?”: Daniela Mercury’s latest song “Black Panther Goddess”, represents a universalization that, even in homage, cannot fully accept blackness
Note from BW of Brazil: You wanna know how Brazil has managed to skate under the radar of being one of the most racist countries […]