1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,526
Hey guys, I'm Faheedah, and today
we're going to be talking about
2
00:00:03,526 --> 00:00:05,610
the African diaspora in Brazil.
3
00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,840
♪ Freedom is... ♪
4
00:00:11,327 --> 00:00:14,427
♪ ...mine ♪
5
00:00:15,810 --> 00:00:19,501
Did you know that Brazil has the biggest
African Diaspora Community
6
00:00:19,501 --> 00:00:20,959
outside of Africa?
7
00:00:20,959 --> 00:00:23,789
The 2010 census in Brazil
8
00:00:23,789 --> 00:00:25,450
showed that for the first time,
9
00:00:25,450 --> 00:00:27,640
the majority of the Brazilian population
10
00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,126
identified as afro-descendant.
11
00:00:30,126 --> 00:00:32,532
50.7% of Brazilians.
12
00:00:32,532 --> 00:00:35,990
the equivalent of over
a hundred million people
13
00:00:35,990 --> 00:00:38,754
self-identified as black or mixed-race.
14
00:00:38,754 --> 00:00:42,030
The statistics I'm about to give you
are truly staggering.
15
00:00:42,030 --> 00:00:44,490
The trans-Atlantic
slave trade as we know it
16
00:00:44,490 --> 00:00:46,490
began when the Portuguese completed
17
00:00:46,490 --> 00:00:50,640
the first trans-Atlantic
slave voyage to Brazil in 1526.
18
00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,315
From 1501 to 1866,
19
00:00:53,315 --> 00:00:56,586
an estimated 4.9 million enslaved Africans
20
00:00:56,586 --> 00:00:58,145
were trafficked to Brazil.
21
00:00:58,145 --> 00:01:00,960
That's nearly 40% of all slave traded
22
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,034
in the trans-Atlantic slave trade,
23
00:01:03,034 --> 00:01:05,184
and at least four times
the number of slaves
24
00:01:05,184 --> 00:01:07,193
that were trafficked to the United States.
25
00:01:07,193 --> 00:01:09,903
Brazil was last country
in the Western Hemisphere
26
00:01:09,903 --> 00:01:12,771
to abolish slavery in 1888.
27
00:01:12,771 --> 00:01:14,661
Slave labour was the driving force
28
00:01:14,661 --> 00:01:17,076
behind several key industries in Brazil,
29
00:01:17,077 --> 00:01:20,288
including sugar production,
gold and diamond mining,
30
00:01:20,288 --> 00:01:22,523
cofee production and agriculture.
31
00:01:22,523 --> 00:01:25,346
As was the case across Latin America,
32
00:01:25,346 --> 00:01:27,546
enslaved Africans in Brazil escaped
33
00:01:27,546 --> 00:01:30,317
and formed maroon settlements
called Quilombos.
34
00:01:30,317 --> 00:01:33,283
The most famous of which
was Quilombo dos Palmares,
35
00:01:33,283 --> 00:01:36,306
which existed for most
of the 17th century.
36
00:01:36,306 --> 00:01:38,422
It was a relatively large Quilombo,
37
00:01:38,422 --> 00:01:41,289
with a population of several
thousand escaped slaves
38
00:01:41,289 --> 00:01:42,669
and indigenous people,
39
00:01:42,669 --> 00:01:45,110
who formed a complex
and structured society.
40
00:01:45,603 --> 00:01:49,200
At its height, it had
a population of 30,000 people
41
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,400
and spanned over eleven villages,
42
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,450
occupying a landmass the size of Portugal.
43
00:01:54,450 --> 00:01:58,539
The most famous Afro-Brazilian
slave resistance leader was Zumbi,
44
00:01:58,539 --> 00:02:00,459
the last king of Palmares,
45
00:02:00,459 --> 00:02:03,207
who led the fierce counter-attack
against the Portuguese
46
00:02:03,207 --> 00:02:05,630
forces trying to seize the Quilombo.
47
00:02:05,630 --> 00:02:08,760
Although the settlement
was captured in 1695
48
00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,919
and Zumbi was decapitated,
49
00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,259
today he is a powerful
symbol of resistance
50
00:02:13,259 --> 00:02:16,719
against slavery in Brazil
and Portuguese colonial rule.
51
00:02:16,719 --> 00:02:19,829
To this day,
the descendants of Afro-Brazilians
52
00:02:19,829 --> 00:02:21,789
living in Quilombo settlements
53
00:02:21,789 --> 00:02:24,460
fight for the right
to their ancestral land.
54
00:02:24,460 --> 00:02:28,020
In 2018, for the first time,
a quilombo community
55
00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:31,910
was given land titles,
when the Cachoeira Porteiraa community,
56
00:02:31,910 --> 00:02:34,373
of 500 people, was formally granted
57
00:02:34,373 --> 00:02:38,789
220,000 hectares of Amazonian rainforest.
58
00:02:38,789 --> 00:02:41,310
A key turning point
was the Haitian Revolution,
59
00:02:41,310 --> 00:02:43,388
which ended in 1804,
60
00:02:43,388 --> 00:02:46,030
whereby the Afro-descendant
population of Haiti
61
00:02:46,030 --> 00:02:50,009
rebelled against the white French elites
and claimed their independence,
62
00:02:50,009 --> 00:02:51,658
both from French colonial rule
63
00:02:51,658 --> 00:02:54,250
and their European slave masters.
64
00:02:54,250 --> 00:02:56,759
This sent shockwaves across Latin America,
65
00:02:56,759 --> 00:02:58,659
which were felt as far as Brazil.
66
00:02:59,114 --> 00:03:03,299
Some Afro-Brazilians even wore
portraits of Haitian revolutionary leader
67
00:03:03,299 --> 00:03:06,740
Jean Jacques Dessalines
in pendants around their necks.
68
00:03:06,740 --> 00:03:10,470
However, after the collapse
of the sugar industry in Haiti,
69
00:03:10,470 --> 00:03:13,810
it was Brazil that catered
to the increased demand for sugar.
70
00:03:14,273 --> 00:03:16,886
Enslaved Africans continued to be imported
71
00:03:16,886 --> 00:03:19,069
in large numbers to the region of Byir.
72
00:03:19,579 --> 00:03:21,500
From the Haitian Revolution onwards,
73
00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:25,030
slave rebellions became
more frequent and more brutal.
74
00:03:25,030 --> 00:03:28,789
The largest rebellion
occurred in 1835 in Salvador,
75
00:03:28,789 --> 00:03:31,149
and was known as The Malê Uprising.
76
00:03:31,149 --> 00:03:34,149
It was orchestrated
by African-born Muslim slaves
77
00:03:34,149 --> 00:03:36,660
who intended to free
all of the slaves in Bahia.
78
00:03:37,089 --> 00:03:38,907
However, the rebellion was crushed
79
00:03:38,907 --> 00:03:41,740
and many participants
were arrested, executed,
80
00:03:41,740 --> 00:03:43,480
flogged or deported.
81
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,354
Relations were tense
between enslaved Africans
82
00:03:46,354 --> 00:03:48,281
who had recently been imported
83
00:03:48,281 --> 00:03:50,199
and the enslaved Afrio-Brazilians
84
00:03:50,199 --> 00:03:53,230
who had been born
into slavery on Brazilian soil.
85
00:03:53,230 --> 00:03:56,056
The Afro-Brazilians were comprised
of blacks and mulattoes
86
00:03:56,056 --> 00:03:59,669
who were mixed with the European ancestry
of their slave masters.
87
00:03:59,669 --> 00:04:03,190
They were treated better,
were more likely to be emancipated,
88
00:04:03,190 --> 00:04:05,709
often because they were
the slave master´s children
89
00:04:05,709 --> 00:04:08,260
and had great opportunity
for social mobility
90
00:04:08,260 --> 00:04:09,719
once they had been freed.
91
00:04:09,719 --> 00:04:12,829
In fact, it was not uncommon
for wealthy free blacks
92
00:04:12,829 --> 00:04:15,709
and mulattoes in Brazil
to have slaves of their own.
93
00:04:15,709 --> 00:04:17,906
It was arguably these internal divisions
94
00:04:17,906 --> 00:04:20,170
that held the enslaved population back
95
00:04:20,170 --> 00:04:22,529
from staging a successful revolt.
96
00:04:22,529 --> 00:04:26,090
Although Brazil gained
its independence from Portugal in 1822,
97
00:04:26,650 --> 00:04:29,860
slavery wasn't formally
abolished until 1888,
98
00:04:29,860 --> 00:04:33,130
when Princess Isabel of Brazil
passed the Lei Áurea,
99
00:04:33,130 --> 00:04:34,505
The Golden Act.
100
00:04:34,505 --> 00:04:37,394
This made Brazil the last country
in the Western Hemisphere
101
00:04:37,394 --> 00:04:38,910
to abolish slavery.
102
00:04:38,910 --> 00:04:41,690
The sheer amount of slaves
that had been trafficked to Brazil
103
00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:45,050
during the slavery era
meant that the Brazilian population
104
00:04:45,050 --> 00:04:47,760
was now majority
black and afro-descendant.
105
00:04:48,050 --> 00:04:51,580
At a time when
scientific racism was gaining popularity,
106
00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,690
the Brazilian government tried
to whiten the country´s racial profile.
107
00:04:56,035 --> 00:04:58,380
It implemented a tactical whitening,
108
00:04:58,380 --> 00:05:02,070
whereby from the late 1800s
to the early 1900s,
109
00:05:02,290 --> 00:05:04,650
Brazil encouraged and even subsidized
110
00:05:04,650 --> 00:05:07,730
the mass influx of white
European immigrants to Brazil.
111
00:05:08,150 --> 00:05:10,920
The countries with the
highest numbers settling in Brazil
112
00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,820
were Italians, Portuguese ans Spanish.
113
00:05:13,974 --> 00:05:16,690
Although this didn't eradicate
blackness from Brazil,
114
00:05:16,930 --> 00:05:20,270
it reinforced the trope that whiteness
should be aspired to
115
00:05:20,270 --> 00:05:22,960
and that marrying someone
whiter was an instrument of
116
00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:24,100
social mobility.
117
00:05:24,340 --> 00:05:27,370
In the 20th century,
the black movement in Brazil
118
00:05:27,370 --> 00:05:28,480
gained momentum.
119
00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,325
A defining moment was in 1931,
120
00:05:31,325 --> 00:05:34,000
when the Frente Negra Brasileira
was formed.
121
00:05:34,180 --> 00:05:36,430
the first black political party in Brazil,
122
00:05:36,690 --> 00:05:39,400
organized by Arlindo Vega dos Santos.
123
00:05:39,754 --> 00:05:42,650
The party put forward candidates
for political office,
124
00:05:42,910 --> 00:05:46,320
run literacy classes,
health clinics and legal services
125
00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,180
for black communities across Brazil.
126
00:05:48,540 --> 00:05:50,502
They also published a newspaper called
127
00:05:50,502 --> 00:05:53,410
A Voz da Raça, which circulated news about
128
00:05:53,410 --> 00:05:56,340
black communities both
in Brazil and overseas.
129
00:05:56,710 --> 00:06:00,050
The party was short-lived,
however, when in 1937
130
00:06:00,190 --> 00:06:03,520
the Brazilian dictator,
Getúllio Vargas dissolved all
131
00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:04,790
political parties
132
00:06:05,030 --> 00:06:06,780
From the 1950s onwards,
133
00:06:06,910 --> 00:06:09,630
there were a number
of black social movements in Brazil
134
00:06:09,630 --> 00:06:11,370
that lobbied for black rights.
135
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,630
One of the most famous
was the Unified Black Movement,
136
00:06:14,630 --> 00:06:16,290
also known as the MNU,
137
00:06:16,485 --> 00:06:18,406
founded in 1978,
138
00:06:18,513 --> 00:06:22,118
which is arguably the most influential
black organization in Brazil
139
00:06:22,118 --> 00:06:24,310
in the second half of the 20th century.
140
00:06:24,490 --> 00:06:26,940
Among things, the organization spoke out
141
00:06:26,940 --> 00:06:30,080
against police brutality,
the oppression of black women
142
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,590
and discrimination against
the LGBTQ community.
143
00:06:33,911 --> 00:06:36,920
In 1995, the MNU helped organize
144
00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:38,060
the march for Zumbi
145
00:06:38,060 --> 00:06:39,580
in the capital of Brasilia.
146
00:06:39,910 --> 00:06:43,540
The event protested racism
in Brazil and also celebrated
147
00:06:43,540 --> 00:06:45,630
the anniversary
of the death of Zumbi,
148
00:06:45,850 --> 00:06:47,220
the slave resistance leader
149
00:06:47,220 --> 00:06:49,760
who was the last king of the
Quilombo dos Palmares.
150
00:06:50,140 --> 00:06:52,780
With a turnout of over
40,000 people,
151
00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,240
it was the largest national
black demonstration in Brazil.
152
00:06:56,510 --> 00:06:57,600
In recent years,
153
00:06:57,760 --> 00:06:59,750
social media has played a pivotal role
154
00:06:59,750 --> 00:07:01,980
in black political activism in Brazil,
155
00:07:02,233 --> 00:07:04,800
particularly amongst
afro-brazilian millennials.
156
00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:06,700
Social media platforms such as
157
00:07:06,700 --> 00:07:09,450
YouTube Instagram
and Facebook have allowed
158
00:07:09,450 --> 00:07:12,460
afro-brazilians to connect
and mobilize online.
159
00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,310
Social media provides a forum
160
00:07:14,310 --> 00:07:16,000
to discuss the collective struggle,
161
00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,799
but crucially, it has also allowed
the dissemination
162
00:07:18,799 --> 00:07:20,660
of photos and video footage
163
00:07:20,890 --> 00:07:23,500
showing police brutality
against Afro-Brazilians.
164
00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,719
One such example is the murder
of Cláudia da Silva Ferreira,
165
00:07:27,719 --> 00:07:30,020
who passed away in 2014,
166
00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,680
after a police van dragged her
down the road
167
00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:33,990
for over a thousand feet.
168
00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,679
The grisly incident was captured on camera
169
00:07:36,679 --> 00:07:38,573
and circulated on social media,
170
00:07:38,813 --> 00:07:40,510
sparking national outrage.
171
00:07:40,987 --> 00:07:43,351
The Black Lives Matter
movement, in particular,
172
00:07:43,351 --> 00:07:45,690
gained traction
with afro-brazilian youths,
173
00:07:45,790 --> 00:07:48,650
who coined the #vidasnegrasimportam.
174
00:07:49,059 --> 00:07:51,620
In fact, an unprecedented number of people
175
00:07:51,620 --> 00:07:53,930
self-identified as black and mixed-race
176
00:07:53,930 --> 00:07:56,510
in the 2010 Brazilian census
177
00:07:56,950 --> 00:07:59,510
shows that Brazilians
are prouder and more willing
178
00:07:59,510 --> 00:08:02,050
to claim their African heritage
than ever before.
179
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,640
However, the census also brought to light
180
00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,370
the grave disparities between
181
00:08:06,370 --> 00:08:08,419
the distribution of wealth
amongst white
182
00:08:08,419 --> 00:08:10,240
and afro-descendant Brazilians.
183
00:08:10,641 --> 00:08:12,130
The socio-economic gap
184
00:08:12,130 --> 00:08:14,660
between white
and black Brazilians persists.
185
00:08:15,030 --> 00:08:18,260
The 2010 census found
that, in major cities,
186
00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,139
white Brazilians earn
2 to 3 times more than
187
00:08:21,139 --> 00:08:22,569
their black counterparts.
188
00:08:22,889 --> 00:08:26,760
The wealthiest strata
of Brazilian society remains 82%
189
00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,549
white and the poorest rata is 76% black.
190
00:08:30,989 --> 00:08:34,599
Afro-Brazilians have far less
access to quality education,
191
00:08:34,898 --> 00:08:36,670
health care or fair wages,
192
00:08:36,780 --> 00:08:39,019
and they are underrepresented
in the government.
193
00:08:39,226 --> 00:08:42,190
The most prominent
African derive religions in Brazil
194
00:08:42,190 --> 00:08:44,198
are candomblé and umbanda.
195
00:08:44,258 --> 00:08:46,890
Umbanda centers on the belief in spirits,
196
00:08:46,890 --> 00:08:48,300
both good and evil.
197
00:08:48,350 --> 00:08:50,880
Candomblé is derived from
the belief systems
198
00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:52,870
of a number of African ethnic groups,
199
00:08:53,060 --> 00:08:55,550
particularly, the Yorubá-Fun and Bantu,
200
00:08:55,860 --> 00:08:57,660
similar to the Orishas of Santeria
201
00:08:57,660 --> 00:08:59,820
practiced in Cuba and other regions.
202
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,660
The deities of candomblé
are called "Arishas".
203
00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:06,430
Over time, they have become
syncretized with Roman Catholic saints.
204
00:09:06,758 --> 00:09:08,949
This dates back to when enslaved Africans
205
00:09:08,949 --> 00:09:11,006
were forbidden
by the European masters
206
00:09:11,006 --> 00:09:13,000
for practicing their African religions.
207
00:09:13,220 --> 00:09:15,140
And they had to do so in secret,
208
00:09:15,140 --> 00:09:17,428
under the guise of praying
to Catholic saints,
209
00:09:17,888 --> 00:09:19,420
because of the historical ties
210
00:09:19,420 --> 00:09:21,570
between candomblé and catholicism.
211
00:09:21,570 --> 00:09:24,029
Catholicism is also widely practiced
212
00:09:24,029 --> 00:09:25,540
amongst afro-brazilians.
213
00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:28,720
One afro-descendants Saint
venerated in Brazil
214
00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,450
is Escrava Anastásia,
215
00:09:30,650 --> 00:09:33,150
a slave woman of African
descent who is depicted
216
00:09:33,150 --> 00:09:34,670
wearing a metal facemask.
217
00:09:34,750 --> 00:09:37,470
The story goes that her
master's wife accused her
218
00:09:37,470 --> 00:09:39,000
of flirting with her husband,
219
00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:41,970
and as a punishment forced
her to wear an iron mask
220
00:09:41,970 --> 00:09:43,890
over her face for
the rest of her life,
221
00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:45,900
until she died from tetanus from
222
00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:46,990
the rusty metal.
223
00:09:47,190 --> 00:09:49,380
The biggest afro-brazilian festival
224
00:09:49,380 --> 00:09:51,090
is the Festival of Iemanjá,
225
00:09:51,490 --> 00:09:54,525
celebrated every February 2nd
in Rio Vermelho.
226
00:09:54,835 --> 00:09:57,820
The festival brings toghether
members of several religions,
227
00:09:58,090 --> 00:10:00,037
including Catholics and practitioners
228
00:10:00,037 --> 00:10:03,210
of the afro-brazilian religions,
candomblé and umbanda.
229
00:10:03,615 --> 00:10:05,770
Iemanjá is the Arisha of the sea
230
00:10:05,910 --> 00:10:08,900
and loosely corresponds
to the Cuban Arisha, Iamanha.
231
00:10:09,140 --> 00:10:11,010
It is custom to lay offerings for
232
00:10:11,010 --> 00:10:13,640
the goddess, of flowers jewelry and food.
233
00:10:14,270 --> 00:10:17,991
And of course, Brasil is famous
for its Carnaval around the world.
234
00:10:18,242 --> 00:10:20,350
There are celebrations across the country,
235
00:10:20,350 --> 00:10:22,980
but the most famous
is hosted in Rio de Janeiro,
236
00:10:23,410 --> 00:10:25,800
where over 5 million people participate in
237
00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:26,950
the street parties.
238
00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,840
One key element of the Carnaval
is the Samba music and dance,
239
00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,400
a clear vestige of African
influence in Brazilian culture.
240
00:10:34,770 --> 00:10:37,500
The fast footwork
of Samba dancing originated in
241
00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:39,980
the dancers practiced
by the enslaved Africans
242
00:10:39,980 --> 00:10:41,270
trafficked to Brazil.
243
00:10:41,584 --> 00:10:45,071
And the singing style derives from
the traditional call-and-response style
244
00:10:45,071 --> 00:10:46,857
the Africans would use to evoke their
245
00:10:46,857 --> 00:10:48,830
Arishas during religious ceremonies.
246
00:10:49,380 --> 00:10:51,600
Another afro-brazilian style of dance is
247
00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,060
capoeira, which combines martial arts
248
00:10:54,060 --> 00:10:55,740
moves with elements of dance and
249
00:10:55,740 --> 00:10:57,930
acrobatics to create graceful and
250
00:10:57,930 --> 00:10:59,049
flowing sequences.
251
00:10:59,457 --> 00:11:01,626
It's originated amongst enslaved Africans
252
00:11:01,626 --> 00:11:03,600
in Brazil who sought to hone their combat
253
00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,520
skills without arousing the suspicions
254
00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:06,620
of their masters.
255
00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,540
In 2014, it was declared
an expression of intangible cultural
256
00:11:10,540 --> 00:11:12,030
heritage by UNESCO.
257
00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,100
The Afro-Brazilian Museum,
located in São Paulo,
258
00:11:15,374 --> 00:11:17,550
is home to over 6,000 works
259
00:11:17,550 --> 00:11:19,620
pertaining to a afro-brazilian history,
260
00:11:19,620 --> 00:11:21,050
culture and heritage.
261
00:11:21,427 --> 00:11:24,050
It seeks to celebrate
the arts and accomplishments
262
00:11:24,050 --> 00:11:25,950
of Africans and Afro-Brazilians,
263
00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,360
and it´s the largest collection
of artifacts of Afrcian descent
264
00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:30,400
in Latin America.
265
00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,060
Black Awareness Day has been celebrated
266
00:11:33,060 --> 00:11:35,750
annually in Brazil since the year 1960.
267
00:11:35,930 --> 00:11:38,540
It's held on November 20th
to honor the live
268
00:11:38,540 --> 00:11:41,820
of afro-brazilian slave
resistance fighter, Zumbi.
269
00:11:42,090 --> 00:11:44,780
Famous afro-brazilians
include the footballers
270
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:46,240
Pelé and Ronaldinho,
271
00:11:46,605 --> 00:11:49,510
the scholar and politician,
Abdias do Nascimento,
272
00:11:49,810 --> 00:11:51,340
actress Suzanna Mota,
273
00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,930
and the politician Benedita de Silva,
274
00:11:54,070 --> 00:11:56,860
who became the first black woman
in the Brazilian Senate.
275
00:11:56,860 --> 00:11:57,880
That brings me to the
276
00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,750
end of our video
on the African Diaspora in Brazil.
277
00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,460
For more videos,
don't forget to subscribe
278
00:12:03,460 --> 00:12:06,250
and follow me on instagram,
at freedom is mine official.
279
00:12:06,290 --> 00:12:08,240
I'll see you in the next video.
280
00:12:08,950 --> 00:12:12,950
[Music]