In celebration of the International Day of Latin American and Caribbean Black Women, celebrated on this 25th, Adnews brings a selection of black women who occupy more than important spaces. And at the same time we call on black women to rethink and recreate their place in society.
The date originated in 1992, the year of the 1st meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Black Women, held in the Dominican Republic, proposing the union of women against racism and machismo. In this way, the Network of Afro-Latin American and Afro-Caribbean Women was born, which together with the UN fought for July 25 to become such an important date.
This day is an international milestone of black women’s struggle and resistance. In Brazil, the National Day of Tereza de Benguela and Black Women is also celebrated. Tereza de Benguela was a prominent quilombola leader who resisted slavery for two decades.
According to a survey by the Instituto de Pesquisa Aplicada (IPEA), in Brazil, 21% of black women are domestic servants and only 23% of them have a signed Labor Permit, compared to 12.5% of white women are domestic servants, with 30% of them registered in a Labor Permit. The trajectory of a black woman, for many, is a process with only one direction, but contrary to what they think, it is something that can be changed and is being changed, with all the achievements already experienced.
All black women need to know the place they can occupy and the place they already occupy, they often do not have a voice, they receive judgmental looks and thus create a barrier to achieving their goals, but racism is miserable compared to the power that each black woman has and the fight for equality has to be valued.
During an interview, businesswoman Gilvana Viana, who is co-creator and executive producer of the ‘Mano a Mano’ podcast, commented on the importance of transforming and valuing.
“We talk about what needs to be done and what is happening, but that is not enough. We need to value people and value the capacity of each one, regardless of color or age, it is necessary to recognize and respect”, said the businesswoman.
There has always been racial, social and, moreover, gender discrimination, which becomes a much bigger struggle. Gradually they are reaching and occupying the spaces they deserve and are entitled to. An example of this are the women we are going to present…check them out below.
Rejane Romano Director of Digital and Social – Publicis Groupe Brazil
“We are the dreams of our ancestors. This is a premise in my life, the granddaughter of a black woman who got divorced at a time when this was unthinkable and who, without knowing how to read and write, moved to São Paulo, with five children, to seek a better life. Moving around, fighting to occupy spaces that were denied to us is, to a certain extent, honoring my grandmother’s story and contributing to achieving the dreamed of equity and guaranteeing a less perverse future for those to come.”
Gilvana Viana CEO – Mugshot
“According to Angela Davis: ‘When a black woman moves, the whole structure of society moves with her.’ Angela’s speech crosses me daily, because she talks about the movements and narratives of several black women and how it has impacted the reality of society. Being Gilvana Viana depends on the love and affection of my family and friends, it depends on people who trust and rely on my knowledge and who are daily willing to understand the movements to open paths for new talents to arrive. after all, there is no point in arriving and being alone.”
Adriana Barbosa CEO – PRETAHUB and Feira Preta
“At 15, I tried to look for a way to make my own money. I’ve always given myself to everything with depth and dedication, so when unemployment first hit, in my early 20s, it left a void in my routine. Working was the natural move for me. I can’t remember a single moment when the women around me weren’t working. I used the intellectual capacity that my ancestors had passed on to me as an inheritance: the ability to transform scarcity into abundance. So, more than 20 years ago, when I decided to bring Feira Preta to the world, in 2002, at Praça Benedito Calixto, I made a commitment to create a space, which would later become a Hub and trend festival, of production carried out by and for the black population, in the most diverse forms of languages, products or services. The creation of all the projects that emerged from Feira Preta is a response to the specificities of black businesses, to bring practical tools, inspirations and space for creation and effective production, considering external contexts and challenges. Thus, I follow the path trodden by my ancestors with an eye on the future.”
Daniela Benoit CEO – Manas
“The Manas collective was the most legitimate way to create a tool to move other underprivileged black women, like me. Today, I help in their development and preparation for the business world, strengthening their self-esteem and reaffirming that they can occupy all the spaces they want. I am also a volunteer at Li.belo, a social project that trains young black women, people from the periphery and people from the LGBTQIA+ community to work in the advertising market”.
Simone Bishop Associate Creative Director – Publicis Brasil
“I feel that I already move society just by existing and resisting. In addition to being black, I come from the periphery, from the Northeast and I am LGBT, for many this is an affront, but for others it is inspiration. I know that I also move society when I share my knowledge on social networks, at lectures and events, in groups of black publicists and, especially when I am the person in the room who questions the norm, the standard of whiteness.”
Samantha Germano Business Director – Leo Burnett TM
“My black female body in a corporate environment is in itself the representation of movement. When that same body encounters, like a net, other black bodies, it stops being invisible, we occupy! We bring our cosmology, memory and ancestry to this environment in a countercolonial movement of involvement and confluence. And it is this energy that moves us towards recognizing and sharing an equitable environment”
michele carlos Director of Content and Influence – Agência DPZ.
“As a black woman, I am committed to honoring the heritage of those who came before me. A legacy of survival and struggle, but, above all, creativity, extremely refined ancestral technologies, affection, joy and breaking with the logic of domination. My duty is a collective duty to move forward, occupy and claim recognition for our leadership since we are the majority in the country and we are everywhere. My story is not just mine. I am because they were and others will be because we are today. This is how we move all the spaces we have conquered and will still conquer”
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