Brazil, I knew was also a place of contradictions

“Brazil, I knew was also a place of contradictions…”

• A Hypocritical nation

• “They were the last country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery but also the first to claim it was free of anti-black racism, as Gilberto Freyre’s doctrine of “racial democracy” because associated with Brazil’s official identity.”  (pg 16)

• 134 categories of blackness (they have different names for each skin tone, for example, Moreno.

• Gates refers to Brazil as a hybrid nation because of its diverse and mixed population, resulting from centuries of cultural and racial blending between indigenous, African, European, and Asian peoples.  

• “Browing Brazil”- different classes of black people emerged from slavery. 

• “Racial Democracy” -equal rights

• In the democracy, Dora Alvis, a black actvist and hairdresser is trying to reverse the tendency of black women to straighten their hair to conform to Brazilian’s society’s ideals of beauty. She stated that, “they are so depressed if such a low self-esteem they think their hair is ugly.” 25:00- 25:12

• 4.8 million slaves arrived from Africa, a million and a half landed in Baia

• 75 million people of African descent live in Brazil making it the 2nd largest black population

• “What in this country’s past made attitudes towards blackness so problematic?” -Professor Gates 

• Continuation of question: The Brazilian govt. Paid more than 4 million europeans to migrate to Brazil. This was a process known as Bronchial Mentos whitening. 

• This has a huge impact in the black community in Brazil, causing colorism, black girls not liking their natural hair, or wanting to be white because that is what society shows.