Benedita Da Silva
An Afro Brazilian Woman's Story of Politics and Love
Benjamin Medea, Benedita da Silva
The first black woman from a favela to become a congresswoman and a senator in Brazil, Benedita da Silva has overcome an intimidating range of social obstacles. Born into a poor slum-dwelling family, she became a councillor in Rio, then a Federal Deputy and is now a congresswoman for the PT (Workers Party). Yet her political career gives only some idea of the richness of her life experience. In this autobiography she talks of her love and family life and how the vicissitudes of being one of Brazil's many poor black women have shaped her political beliefs and action. Through describing her family, her husbands, her children and grandchildren, we see the woman who still lives in the favela where she has spent most of her life, the woman who has fought poverty, racism and exculsion. This is a first hand account of the most pressing social problems in Brazil: indigenous rights, street children, land and racism. Her activism, from her days as a favela organizer to national politician, reflects the most pressing concerns of Brazil's poor majority.
Series: Latin America Bureau Books
Published: 1997
Pages: 230
eBook: 9781899365470
Paperback: 9781899365210
| Foreword by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. vii | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preface ix | |||
| Acknowledgments xi | |||
| Introduction | |||
| Chapter One: My Life, My Loves 1 | |||
| Chapter Two: A Walk Through the Favela 31 | |||
| Chapter Three: No One Said Politics Would be Easy 51 | |||
| Chapter Four: From Life After Death to Life After Birth 83 | |||
| Chapter Five: Feminism With Passion 101 | |||
| Chapter Six: Exploding the Myth of Racial Harmony 119 | |||
| Chapter Seven: Democratizing the Land 139 | |||
| Chapter Eight: We, Too, Are the Children of Brazil 155 | |||
| Chapter Nine: Time to Cut Up the Pie 173 | |||
| Chapter Ten: All the More Reason to Keep on Dreaming 193 | |||
| Appendices: | |||
| Map of Brazil | |||
| Key Political Events in Brazil during | |||
| Benedita da Silva's Life | |||
| Suggested Reading | |||
| About Global Exchange | |||
| About Food First | |||
| About Benedita | |||
| About the Authors |
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