Brazzil
Blacks
March 2003
In our work with the Afro-Brazilian Movement, we make sure that the important dates like the Day for Black Consciousness (November 20th), the International Day Against Racism (March 21st), and the Day of Celebration of Black Women in the Caribbean Islands (July 25th), are celebrated in a special way. When it comes to the 13th of May, which is the official day of commemoration of the freeing of the slaves in Brazil, many Afro-Brazilians have difficulties in celebrating this day.
When I first arrived in Brazil I did not understand the reasons for not celebrating such a date. In working with the Afro-Brazilian movement, I learned that the signing of the law was not necessarily beneficial for the people held as slaves, but was more for the benefit of the Portuguese people and the rest of the European countries.
In 1888, when Princess Isabel signed the law freeing the slaves in Brazil, it was the same year when all of the European countries met to discuss and strategize how to colonize the African continent. With this decision they had to stop the slave trade as they realized that they would need cheap labor within the continent. For this reason the European countries put pressure on the Portuguese colony in Brazil to stop the trafficking of slaves and set them free.
Another reason for boycotting the commemoration May 13 is the fact that when the law was signed, only 5 percent of the slaves were actually still in captivity. Most of the slaves had escaped to create their own communities, known as quilombos. The above reasons give clear evidence that African peoples have suffered in the past as they continue to suffer today, yet they are always struggling for their own independence and full liberation from oppression.
May 13th was commemorated in the past for a variety of reasons. In the São Paulo newspaper known as the Diário Popular, an article on May 14th, 1889 describes a big celebration that happened in the city of São Paulo. Many people, but especially the afro-descendants, paraded on the streets of São Paulo to dance samba and celebrate their day of liberation. This commemoration was organized by the Black People's Club of the 13th of May.
During the commemoration there were many people who came from the countryside to the city to join in the celebration. They faced the opposition of the police forcing them to go back to their landlords to work. Princess Isabel and her family supported the actions of the commemoration of this date, while the local government officials had some reservations about allowing the commemoration and manifestations.
However there were many other groups created that year to continue the commemoration for the following year. Mr Scaramuzza, who was born in 1890 in Bexiga, São Paulo, gave evidence to the newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo (May 14th, 1985, page 9) that he witnessed many commemorations and celebrations each year since he was very young until 1950.
Another characteristic of the commemoration of May 13th was the soccer games made up of teams of black people versus white people, which were sponsored by the black people's organization. The day of the big playoff between the two teams, was always on May 13th. In 1928, the black people's team beat the white people's team for the second time.
Given that at that time black people were not allowed to be freely organizing events in Brazilian society or mixing with white people on the same level, the 13th of May became an important date for the black population. On this date they had the freedom to march on the streets of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, dance samba, organize meetings, and even play soccer with white people on the same football fields. For the majority of black people, this was a major victory and a moment of freedom, even if it was just for one day.
During the 1940s more black organizations continued organizing commemorations with conferences, concerts, and different types of dances and sports. One more additional activity from this decade was the beauty contest. In 1961, the São Paulo 220 Club created a beauty contest among the black women where the most beautiful woman of the year was chosen on May 13th. This event continued and got better organized each year.
However the concept of beauty was very much taken from the white people's perspective, which at that time was defined according to the lightness of the skin. The lighter the skin, the more beautiful. In 1963, the contest chose a very light skinned woman as the most beautiful black woman of the year. There were some complaints and disagreement among the black people's organization about the concept of beauty. (Correio d'Ébano, July 16th, 1963). The contest honored the daughter of the president, João Goulart, and this was also very polemical among the black movements.
The black movement in São Paulo also organized another type of contest, which was based on the mysticism of black women. They honored the black women who took care of their families and at the same time took care of the children of the white families, breast-fed their children as well as the children of the whites. In this contest, they chose a black woman whose body and color honored all of the black women who for many years suffered the difficulties and pains of slavery. This black mother who was chosen didn't only symbolize the suffering, but also the strength, power and life that black women have brought to the Brazilian society.
Historically, the Day of the Black Mother was celebrated on the September 28th up until 1950. This was the day in 1871 when the Law of Ventre Livre (Any child born by a black woman will be free from slavery) was pronounced. In 1955 the São Paulo mayor decided that this day should also be celebrated on May 13th. Today, the Afro-Brazilian religious celebration of the spirits of the slave ancestors is also held on May 13th.
In the 1970s, black consciousness further evolved as the black movement delved into history and discovered the black resistance leader and hero, Zumbi of Palmares. They learned that Zumbi did not even let his body be touched by white people while he was alive. Zumbi did not accept slavery. He led a group of people to escape from slavery to create a free community, where black people could continue living their freedom and their culture. For many black people Zumbi is a hero and model for the continuation of the struggle for liberation.
Zumbi of Palmares died November 20th, hence the proclaimed Day of Black Consciousness. Since this development many black movements do not accept the commemoration of May 13th as an important date for black people. Instead, they boycott with marches and actions to indicate that the government and society still owes a lot to the black people. Even today many black people still live in the slum areas of the cities without adequate housing, education, land, security, health care and job opportunities.
On May 13, 1888, a law was passed declaring the end of slavery, but almost 115 years later true freedom has still not arrived for many Afro-Brazilians because they still are suffering a slavery and bondage from the continuing realities of discrimination and exploitation evident in society today. Just recently when listening to the national news, I saw that the police were searching for drugs in the Baixada Fluminense, one of the most famous and dangerous slums of Rio de Janeiro. They began shooting in every direction, aiming at the drug dealers.
The people who live in the area, the majority being black, ran into their little houses and closed their windows and doors, protecting themselves from the stray bullets. When interviewed by the news reporter, one person cried out deeply with his door halfway open and screamed, "What we need is freedom! Please Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!
Efu Nyaki is a Maryknoll missioner from Tanzania who lives and works in Paraíba state, Brazil.
This material was supplied by Sejup, which has its own Internet site: http://www.oneworld.net/sejup/