Through meetings, lectures and other activities, the association fosters racial literacy in the city of Atibaia and surrounding areas
Capoeira* classes, corimba**, African dance, mothers’ groups, psychological support and racial literacy —- these are some of the activities offered by Associação Negra Visão (“Black Vision Association”, in English) in Atibaia and the surrounding region in the countryside of São Paulo. The goal is to promote Black culture and combat racism.
The activities are free and open to the general public. Racial literacy, in particular, is woven into all initiatives and often uses the art of storytelling to engage audiences through Itans, the myths and stories of Yorubá*** culture.
Topics related to the strength of the Black community, as well as everyday prejudice, segregation and racial discrimination, are always at the heart of discussions. Additionally, lectures are held at the association’s headquarters, schools and other community spaces.
“A lot of people don’t even know what racism is or how deeply it affects us. Our role is to explain where it comes from and how it operates in our country”, says the association’s director, Silvana Cotrim.
Everyday attitudes
Silvana explains that, many times, racism goes unnoticed both by those who practice it and by the victims. That is why the association is always highlighting the different types of racism and how it manifests in daily life.
“If there are two people in a line, one white and one black, and the white person thinks they can cut in front of the Black person because they’re in a hurry or have a child, they need to understand that the Black person in front of them may also be in a hurry, may also have a child, and is also waiting. Many actions like this are done without thinking”, she warns.
“Some people believe they are not racist because they have never insulted a Black person. But if you go to a store and assume that a Black person looking at a product’s price intends to steal it, that is already racism”, she continues. She emphasizes that racial literacy is essential for both white and Black people.
“There are still many Black people who don’t know how to identify racism. The other day, I met a boy who had been attacked by a man who walked past him, hit him, and then said, ‘Get out of the way, little Black boy.’ Five minutes later, I asked the boy if he had ever experienced racism and he said no! So, there are many Black people who don’t even realize that what they experience daily is racism”, she explains.
Associação Cultural Negra Visão
Some activities are specifically designed for the Black community; however, this does not make Associação Negra Visão an exclusive club for Black people, emphasizes the director. “The association was created to support our people because a Black person understands what another Black person goes through. I would never question someone who says they have experienced racism, for example. But beyond that, we also highlight the strength and resilience of Black people”.
This strength is celebrated through the local management of the Uneafro university prep course, the annual celebration of Black Consciousness Day, and the establishment of the region’s first Black Memorial. The memorial houses a collection of 120 artifacts from the time of slavery, which were previously under the care of the Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos de Atibaia (“Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black Men of Atibaia”, in English) church.
The association also holds a permanent seat on the Municipal Councils of Culture and Health and was the main driving force behind the creation of the Conselho Municipal de Promoção de Igualdade Racial – Compir (“Municipal Council for the Promotion of Racial Equality – Compir”, in English). This was a historic achievement for a city that still contends with the legacy of being one of the last to abolish slavery in the country.
“People need to understand that they may be experiencing racism. Only then can it be fought. That is why Compir exists — to collect reports of discrimination and advocate for changes in law enforcement so that cases of racism are handled properly”, she explains.
The Strength of the Black Community
Associação Negra Visão was founded in 2018 after Silvana noticed that, in the NGO where she worked as a volunteer, Black and white people were treated differently.
“One day, a Black young man came in and I decided to ask the staff why he had been treated that way. They responded, ‘Oh no, of course not, we treat everyone the same.’ I thought to myself: even those providing services don’t realize the difference. That’s when I started envisioning Negra Visão”, she recalls.
Since then, she has been the leading organizer of the Black movement that remains active in the city today.
“When I started thinking about Negra Visão, I went to the Department of Culture to ask about Black Consciousness Day, and they asked me to organize something. So, a month before the date, we held a meeting at the Centro Cultural André Carneiro (“André Carneiro Cultural Center”, in English) under the theme ‘Black People of Atibaia, Where Are You?’. I expected five people to show up, but 30 came. That was a sign that others also wanted to know more. From there, we kept going, holding meetings in public squares, wherever we could”.
Racism is a crime
Today, the association is officially recognized as a public service organization by the Atibaia city government and has been awarded a medal of honor for its significant contributions to the Black community. To sustain its activities, the association organizes events, bazaars, fairs and lectures.
Silvana emphasizes that fighting racism requires taking a stand and that the anti-racist struggle must be a commitment shared by everyone. “Whenever someone commits a racist act, it is necessary to call it out. You don’t need to shout, but you must be firm and say that it is racism — and that it is a crime”.
She also highlights the need for Black people to empower themselves and reject the sense of inferiority that was instilled in them during the period of enslavement. “We need to move away from that subservience, from always saying ‘yes, sir,’ from being mistreated and letting it go. I once heard someone say, ‘Oh, that’s just how we’re treated. I’m used to it.’ But we are not supposed to be used to it!”.
“For many years, I thought my teacher didn’t like me. I thought I wasn’t chosen for a job because the other candidate — a white friend with the same qualifications — was simply smarter than me. Over time, I realized that it was all racism. That’s why racial literacy is so important”, she says.
Urban Quilombo
The association brings together people from all over the city. Many of them have never been to the Quilombo**** Urbano Negra Visão (“Black Vision Urban Quilombo”, in English), which serves as its headquarters in central Atibaia – yet the association’s activities extend far beyond that space. Still, the location holds deep symbolic value.
“The quilombo has always been a place of resistance, where enslaved people gathered to protect and strengthen themselves, to develop strategies to fight oppression, enslavement, and all the suffering it brought. For us, the urban quilombo represents the same thing: a place of resistance within a society where power is still concentrated in the hands of a white majority”.
And she warns, “This refusal to truly free Black people from enslavement continues to this day! I have heard people here in Atibaia say they are keeping the slave quarters on their property because slavery will return — can you believe that?”.
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* Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines fighting, dance, music and acrobatics. Created by enslaved Africans in Brazil, it was used as a form of resistance and freedom. Today, it is practiced all over the world and recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
** Corimba is the singing and percussion used in the rituals of religions of African origin in Brazil, such as Candomblé and Umbanda. The drums, called atabaques, accompany the chants that invoke and celebrate the orixás, guides and spiritual entities.
*** Yorubá is an ethnolinguistic group originating in West Africa, especially Nigeria, Benin and Togo. In Brazil, Yorubá culture has profoundly influenced religions such as Candomblé, the language, music and other Afro-Brazilian cultural expressions.
**** Quilombo is a community formed by black people, often descendants of enslaved Africans, who fled slavery and settled in isolated areas. These communities were spaces of resistance, where black people sought freedom, protection and preservation of their culture, away from the oppression of colonial society. Today, the term can also refer to urban spaces of resistance and struggle against racism and inequality.
