Educational Slideshare

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Presentation by [Queenie Sapelino], Pierce College, WA

2. “Finally…Us”
(“Enfim…Nos”)
“Finally…Us: Contemporary Black Brazilian
Women Writers.”
By:
Miriam Alves (Edited and Selected)
Carolyn R. Durham (Translated)

3. Miriam Alves (1952--)
– Born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1952
– Got a degree in Social Work
– Currently known in Brazil and abroad as the country’s leading Afro-
Brazilian female poet.
– Her writing mostly tackled race and gender issues.
– Joined Quilombhoje in 1982, which is a literary group of Afro-
Brazilian writers formed in the early 1980s.
– She’s very committed to strengthening the resolve of women in
general and promoting awareness of women writers.

4. Finally…Us
– Compilation of literary works of Contemporary Afro-Brazilian women and what
it was like to live as both Black and a woman in Brazil.
– This was during the time when authors were emerging when changes in Brazil’s
political climate was happening at the same time as the increase of feminist
consciousness.
– The author’s goal was to show that Black women, such as herself, and women in
general in Brazil have their own voices and that their stories, experiences, goals,
and aspirations sets them apart.

5. Historical Context
– 1970s to mid-1990s (Quilombhoje being founded in early ‘80s)
– Racism, sexism, and oppression (with Black women facing both)
(Slavery in the past – Black women were submitted to all kinds of inhuman acts, sexual exploitation,
rape, murder, etc.)
(Stereotypes and sexism with gender roles in society)
– Struggle of Black identity in Brazil
(Coining different terms to “whiten” themselves in order to avoid racial classification as black)
– 1970’s, Black writers/authors started emerging while black women has very little representation
– 1980’s, “Cadernos Negros” was released which is a series of poems by different Afro-Brazilian writers
(Afro-Brazilian women still faced deep rooted prejudices)

6. Political Context
– The Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964-1985)
– Censorship of all media
– Torture, exile, disappearance, murder, etc.
– Literature being one of the most used form of media by people against the
dictatorship (Books, stories, poems, etc.)
– The dictatorship suppressing everything to demobilize society and opposing
groups
– 1970s was when feminists and sexual minorities started to emerge and became
more visible with new social movements rising up

7. Cultural Context
– Quilombhoje – created with the purpose of combining the literary, political, and
cultural aspects of the Black Movement in Brazil.
(Using poems and literature to share their views, beliefs, and experiences)
(Writers in Brazil not being well respected and were seen as unnecessary)
“In Brazil, the society does not value literary things whether they are
black or white. There is no cultural value for this type of work.” (Alves)
- Miriam Alves was the first woman to join the group, but her feminist ideas and
views clashed with the men in the group, so they left and only one stayed
- “Cadernos Negros” are series of poems with Afro-Brazilian writers but was male
dominated until around 1988

8. “Authentication”
by Geni Guimaraes
When she saw herself
She wanted to turn away
To hide herself
To disappear
To deny.
She did so much to undo,
She bled so much not to bleed,
She aspired,
She spat,
She drank,
She dedicated herself, she struggled,
So upon conquering herself, she loved herself.
Today she exhibits her beautiful black face
To the fierce sun that dresses the road.
She is satisfied.
Life is a head
The mind is hers.

9. Analysis
1. Speaker – Could be the writer but could also apply to
anyone who has ever felt ashamed or insecure about
who they are.
2. Subject - Self-worth and pride in who they are.
Overcoming the fear or shame of being who they are.
3. Attitude – Showed the struggle they were facing but
ended it with a hopeful note of acceptance.
4. Imagery (Both) – Talked about the struggles the speaker
went through internally and externally but also added
figurative imagery with “bled so much not to bleed.”
5. Symbols – “The mind is hers” could symbolize the
speaker finally being at peace with her insecurities and
overcoming the struggles of being comfortable in her
own skin.
Interpretation
My interpretation of the poem is that it is straight forward on
what it’s about. The first line with her seeing herself and
wanting to turn away, hide, and disappear means exactly what
the poem stated. Not wanting to see herself maybe because of
shame and insecurities.
The second stanza talked with “she did so much to undo, she
bled so much not to bleed” could mean that she tried
everything not to be who she is as she thinks it’s not someone
she should be proud of and the bleeding could mean pain or
struggle and wanting to end her struggles but as she tries so
hard to deny herself, she began to realize her worth. (“So upon
conquering herself, she loved herself.”)
The last stanza talked about her exhibiting “her beautiful black
face” and this means she finally accepted who she really is and
finally became proud of who she is. “She is satisfied. Life is a
head” meaning she’s finally content on who she is and is looking
forward to the future compared to the beginning of the poem
where she wanted to disappear and hide. “The mind is hers.”
could only mean that she’s finally at peace with her thoughts
and finally accepted who she is.

10. “Apartheid”
by Alzira Rufino
The present time begets
Black it begets
Whites
And living together with life
Mixes sleep with
Struggle.
People make dividing lines
Geographical difference
They alter the language
They worship the rationality
Of the machine
They divide our culture,
They forget our leaders
Dead symbols.
Blacks are born
They make trenches
Growing in dreams
Exchanging tears.
Warlike adventures
Madmen who question
The meaning of the words
“It is useless to resist.”

11. Analysis
1. Speaker – I think the speaker is the writer as they are
directly talking about the struggle and racism that Afro-
Brazilians are going through and have gone through.
2. Subject - Slavery, war, suffering, and the division and
separation of the people during hard times.
3. Attitude – The attitude of the speaker towards the
subject is that they seem disheartened with what they
are going through and the lack of unity of the people
affected. They also sound kind of angry with how the
others don’t see the real issue which is the war.
4. Imagery (Both) – Literal can be seen with the
“geographical difference” which could mean people
from different countries. “leaders dead symbols” could
mean the awards or stars that the leaders get during war
and how they are worthless as they earn them by killing
and hurting innocent people.
5. Symbols – “they worship the rationality of the machine”
could symbolize guns and weapons.
Interpretation
The poem began with “the present time begets black it begets
white” and I see this as the writer trying to say that we all are
people no matter if you’re black or white and we all are living
and existing in the same world. “People make dividing lines and
geographical difference” could mean that the division in their
country could be caused by the same people who are affected.
The line where the poem talked about the people worshipping
the machines could mean that people value their weapons and
guns more than they value the people’s lives and use it as law.
“They divide our culture” could mean that even though they are
all from the same country and live in the same place, there is
still a division or separation between them because of the color
of their skin. “Blacks are born they make trenches growing in
dreams exchanging tears” shows the struggles that the black
people have gone through and are still going through with their
lives being dedicated to working and serving as soon as they are
born. This showed a life of servitude full of hopes and dreams
that they’ll be free. The last line with “madmen who question
the meaning of the words ‘it is useless to resist.’” could mean
that hoping is useless and fighting for their rights is like fighting
a losing battle but it could also be seen as something with hope
as the called the person who doesn’t want to fight as
“madmen.”

12. Works Cited
Collier, Rhonda. "A Conversation with Miriam Alves." Obsidian, vol. 13, no. 1, 2012, pp. 137-
142,153. ProQuest,
http://ezproxy.pierce.ctc.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.pierce.ctc.edu:2057/docview/1
635242443?accountid=2280.
Duke, Dawn. "Alves, Miriam (1952–)." Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins,
Experiences, and Culture, edited by Carole Boyce Davies, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, 2008, pp. 81-
82. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2444300047/GVRL?u=puya65247&sid=GVRL&xid
=d304e3e8. Accessed 30 May 2019.
Afolabi, Niyi. "Beyond the curtains: unveiling Afro-Brazilian women writers." Research in
African Literatures, vol. 32, no. 4, 2001, p. 117+. Literature Resource Center,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A80852420/LitRC?u=puya65247&sid=LitRC&xid=aa0
dd466. Accessed 04 June 2019.
Caulfield, Sueann, and Cristiana Schettini. "Gender and Sexuality in Brazil since Independence."
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. October 26, 2017. Oxford
University Press,. Date of access 04 Jun. 2019,