Mulheres negras em ação: o ativismo intelectual nos cursos de formação promovidos no Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The intellectual activism of black women comes from long steps crossing the academy and other spaces of society in multiple ways: through the struggle for affirmative policies, the dissemination of Afro-Brazilian culture through music, poetry, biographies and other forms of expression. The present work sought to observe how these women have developed, through courses and debate cycles, this activism within their communities and outside it, linking theoretical elements, life experiences, militancy and religiosity. From the ethnography carried out in the event Ciclo de Debates Meninas de Oyà produced in the city of Rio Grande -RS and, linked to other events that made up the guiding thread of this analysis, I propose a reflection on the elements that make up this intellectual activism, combined with the writings of black women who produced knowledge from the global north to south, highlighting among them Lélia Gonzalez, Beatriz Nascimento, Patricia Hill Collins, among others. As a result of the material produced, I observed how the dynamics of Brazilian society, specifically the history of the black population in Rio Grande do Sul, became a massive barrier to equality and social responsibility that could be applied to this specific group. Among the women who manage to overcome this barrier, as a consequence, they end up dealing with an overload of tasks and demands that do not involve their family or work, but add the weight of responsibility with their surroundings. In most events, diversity was also identified with regard to age, social class, education and race. As for this last item, within some events, the counterpoint of racism made from white individuals who questioned the experiences of black people was highlighted, thus demonstrating the space for dialogue and the lack of knowledge of whiteness in the specificities of racism structure that develops in the south of the country. As a conclusion, what remains, without a doubt, are the efforts of black women to create spaces for the dissemination of knowledge among the population, under severe penalties of overload and devaluation by the political power, with the intention of a deep desire to build a project for a more egalitarian society.