Ângela Figueiredo Ph.D., a professor in the social sciences department of the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia in Cachoeira-Bahia in Brazil, will give a lecture titled “Do Black Lives Matter in Brazil? Political Mobilization and Black Feminist Protagonism” on Nov. 3.
The event is a public issue forum hosted by the department of Latin American and Caribbean Studies in collaboration with the African Diaspora Knowledge Exchange Project. The talk is one of three in the African Diaspora Knowledge Exchange Series, a project created by Prof. Carole Boyce-Davies, Africana studies and literatures in english.
In addition to teaching social sciences, Figueiredo is also an associate of the Graduate Program in Ethnic and African Studies and the Postgraduate Program in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies at the Federal University of Bahia. She has published three books and produced two documentaries regarding women and Black identity. She is also the coordinator of Collective Angela Davis, a research and activist group.
Figueiredo will discuss the activism of black feminist groups in Brazil over the past few years. Through the lens of these organizations, Figueiredo will consider the current Brazilian sociopolitical context and its impact on Brazilians’ rights.
According to Figueiredo, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and following former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s election, racism and sexism have intensified in Brazil. She cited two specific events as representations of these sociopolitical changes — a 63-year-old black woman whose death from COVID-19 was the first recorded in Brazil and Miguel Otávio, a five-year-old boy who fell to his death from the fifth story of his mother’s workplace.
To compile the presentation, Figueiredo analyzed social media, webinars, livestreams and seminars produced over the past two years, in addition to her participation in the topic as an activist and researcher.
The event will take place in Goldwin Smith Hall from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. If unable to attend in person, students, faculty and staff may register to attend virtually via eCornell.
Correction, Nov. 1, 4:27 p.m.: The initial version of this article misstated that the event was commemorating the department’s 60th anniversary. Additionally, Prof. Boyce-Davies has appointments in two departments, not just Africana. These errors have been corrected.