My project is a part of a larger transnational dialogue between African Americans and Afro Brazilians. The foundation of the project is a unique partnerships between two small Brazilian grassroots organizations, Bahia Streets (an after school enrichment program) and Colegio Estadual Eraldo Tinoco: Comunidade Quilombola (a Quilombo school). Local activist and cultural consultant, Alex Alberto Santos de Jesus provided critical liaison work.
With school director, Ana Clara Amorim, we designed a program leveraging the community partner funds to allow 20 students and parents to attend the annual FLICA literature festival in the neighboring historic city of Cachoeira. FLICA is an international literature festival. Every year, writers of different cultural backgrounds meet to discuss and interact with the public. Politics, history, music, biographies, religion, fiction literature, and literary creation are themes of the FLICA program schedule. The event attracts more than twenty thousand visitors to Cachoeira, a city which provides the perfect backdrop for this highly popular festival.
The Mellon funds were leveraged to provide transportation, lodging, meals, and a book allowance for the students. The students attended special lectures with notable writes including Afro Brazilian feminist philosopher Djamila Ribeiro and Black American intellectual and professor Patricia Hill Collins.
