What Afro-Brazilians Want You to Know

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 17: Afro procession to celebrate the month of black consciousness, the Union of Sao Paulo bank, Osasco and Region in procession through the streets of old Sao Paulo, followed by dancers and drummers with the singer Ren? Sobral samba school, the event will continue until the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black men over Paissandu African traditional Mass, the November 17, 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo: Caio buni/News Free/Getty Images)

Back in 2002, according to the Estado do S. Paulo newspaper, former U.S. President George W. Bush reportedly asked Fernando Henrique Cardoso, then-president of Brazil, “Does Brazil have blacks, too?”

For Brazilians, this statement showed a stunning ignorance of the country, which is the fifth largest in the world and is one of the seven-largest economies. But ignorance about Afro-Brazilians and their culture is nothing new. The history and the voices of Afro-Brazilians are often muted.

As eyes begin to wander from Rio de Janeiro as the Olympics end this weekend, here’s a parting shot of what I’ve learned about Afro-Brazilians from years of conversation with black activists in Brazil:

Click here to see the list

Source: The Root | TSHOMBE MILES