By Paul Barton
African-Brazilians are strengthening their African heritage and culture, uniting as African people.
Brazil has had a history of division of Blacks since the days of slavery. In Brazil shades of color from Cafe-au-lait to pure Black has been labeled and classified into a number of shades and castes, similar to the first aspects of the caste or"varna" used to divide and conquer india.
From the beginning of Brazilian history, one aspect of human interaction has been a fact of life. That aspect is the abuse and violation of African females by the slavemasters which brought into existence the many varieties of skin color resulting from European exploitation of Africans and Indians.
Yet, slavery in Brazil was not like slavery in the U.S., where slaves were totally debased to the extent that every effort was made to destroy the African language, culture, religion and intellectual capacity. In Brazil, the number of slaves imported was quite large.
Origins of African-Brazilians
Most of the Africans who were sent to Brazil came from West Africa and Congo-Angola between the mid 1500's to the late 1880's. Angola, one of Africa's important kingdoms had been organized long before the 12th century. The Portuguese arrived in Angola during the 1400's. By the 1500's they were involved in trade and trying to spread their religion in Angola. One of Angola's kings, Matamba and his daughter Nzing Matamba, the Queen of Angola during the 1600's, fought the Portuguese for many years to stop the destruction of their country and the rapid enslavement of the Central African People, who were being shipped to Brazil, the spanish colonies and later the U.S. (Many Black Americans west of Florida are of Angolan/Congolese origins. Louisiana's 'Congo Square' or 'Angola' institution was named due to the connection with Angola.
The ancestors of African-Brazilians also come from west africa, parts of East Africa, Southern Africa and all the areas where the Portuguese colonized, including Mozambique.
Brazils First Educational System Began by West Africans
The first system of private education in Brazil was begun by the African Muslim Societies whose members came from West Africa. The enslaved Africans who came from the literary and West African college system, were hired to teach the children of the Portuguese slavemasters. At the same time, these Africans created their own schools.
African Religion, Language and Culture in Brazil
Brazil has retained many aspects of African culture from the very beginning of its colonial history. The Africans sent to Brazil came from a number of important kingdoms and empires. They included the Mende group from the Guinea region of West Africa, the Yoruba from Benin and Nigeria, the Tiv and Ashanti from Ghana, the Congo-Angola kingdoms.
Yoruba Religion, Angolan Martial arts
There are aspects of African culture that Africans in Africa, have allowed missionaries from the European and Arab world to destroy traditional African Religions. African religions thrive in Brazil, whether it Mdanba or Candomble. These religons are like a steel bond that holds African Brazilians to their African Heritage and culture.
The Kingdom of Palmares and African Brazilian Revolutions During Slavery.
Africans have been visiting Brazil since prehistoric times. In fact, over the years African skulls dating back over 30, 000 years ago have been found in North-Eastern Brazil (National Geographic; also Scientific American, Sept. 2000) See also the book, "A history of African-Olmecs: Black Civilizations of America from Prehistoric Times to the Present Era," published by 1st Books Library, www.1stbooks.com)
The enslaved Africans sent to Brazil came from parts of Africa where the Arabs and Portuguese had been engaged in war with the African. In places like Mali, Mauritania and the Sahel Region, many captives were warriors captured in warefare. They were shipped to the coast of West Africa and then to Brazil. In kingdoms like Bushongo (Zaire) and the Angola Kingdom, there were against the spanish and portuguese invaders and slave raiders.
African Brazilians and The Preservation of African Culture and Self.
Over the past many years, the idea of Oludum, a call for African-Brazilian cultural renaissance, has gain foothold in the conciousness of Brazil. Black conciousness in Brazil is growint to such an extent that those Brazilians who mixed are refusing to let the portuguese/german/european elite divide them more than they already are. Today in Brazil, more brazilians are rejecting terms of skin complexion that were used to dived Black people in Brzzil.
African Brazilian rebirth includes the return to creating masterpieces of artwork using the African style. Musical instruments, carvings, paintings, drums, clothing, hats, religious items, and a large variety of cultural items are being created daily by Africans in Brazil. This is a phenomena that is also occurring all over the Caribbean, where local arts, crafts, and industries of a traditional type such as wood carving and pottery making is adding to the economy.
It is apparent that many African Brazilians realize that no matter their skin tone, their African origins and their African heritage and forefathers and foremothers remain in their conciousness. They realize that the slavemasters exploited them all, no matter the shade of skin. African Brazilians are also very well aware that long before the Europeans and Arabs invaded Africa, there were nations with a range of skin tones, heights, sizes and from various cultures. Brazilian slaves from southern Africa tended to be lighter complected than those from Guinea and those from Sudan were taller than those from other places.
Among the aspects of culture that Afro-Brazilians have been developing over the many decades is the Angolan Martial art called Capieira. Capoeira is of Angola Bantu origins and it was used in Brazil by slaves to defend against the Portuguese and Dutch slave owners and raiders. Capoeira is second in popularity to soccer in Brazil.
Brazilian music like Samba is also being cherished along with other types of Afro-Brazilian music. The religions like Candomble, Mbanda and other spiritualists religions are of great importanced to Afro-Brazilians because these are religions where humans participate in what could be called spiritual activities. They do not recite an event that occurred thousands of years ago, or read a book from such an event. In African religions like those practiced in Brazil, spiritual events and rituals are made to exist.
The Push for Black Brazilian Independence and Nationhood
Racism in Brazil is of the most devastating kind. In Brazil with about 80 million Blacks, like the rest of latin America, with tens of millions, the destruction of Blacks is taking place in a systematic manner. Recently the Final Call News discussed a meeting held by the Organization of Africans in the Americas (held in Venezuela in the year 2000), to discuss the racist genocide being applied to Blacks in Latin America. This genocide is being carried out by the elimination of Black children from the streets, throwing thousands of Black men in camps, racist discrimination and other forms of racism. In the rest of Latin America, the pattern is the same. Blacks are neglected and in some cases not even considered part of the population. One clearly sees that when Mexicans talk of their nation being 'Spanish and Indian,' and not accepting the fact that Mexico is also African and has been African for thousands of years, or that today in Mexico, there are millions of African people and several more who have African ancestry.
There has been lots of discussion by the Germanic-Italian-Portuguese settlers in South-western Brazil about seperating form the rest of Brazil and creating seperate nation. Yet, in the history of Brazil, the North-eastern part of Brazil, with its huge Black population, included one of the first slave kingdoms in Latin America. That kingdom was the Kingdom of Palmares, and it had a king called Zumbi. Zumbi and others established a series of quilombos and controlled and area of land in what is toda the state of Alagoas. Today, Zumbi is a heroic figure in the history of Afro-Brazilians and the revival of the feeling and desire for independence by Afro-Brazilians is seen as the solution to the ending of racism, neglect, genocide and oppression of Blacks in Brazil. Brazil may in fact be the nation that leads a black renaissance and social change in Latin America, where black culture, religion, art, language, food, music and other cultural contributions are no longer stolen by the white latin elite, while they are systematically oppressing Blacks at the same time. This trend sounds very similar to the same scheme of racism and cultural genocide occurring in other parts of the world. In some cases Blacks sit back and let the oppressors trick them into rejecting their Black culture, yet in Brazil, the exact opposite has happened. Blacks in Brazil are holding on to their own religion and culture and are working to liberate and free themselves.
Brazilian Government to Implement Affirmative Action
Recently, there was a move by officials in Brazil to implement affirmative action solutions to address the racist motion picture industry where the only Blacks seen are maids, criminals and gardeners. The very same trend is common in Latin American television and movies right here in the U.S. Due to this racist trend, there have been protest by Blacks in Brazil who are tired of being negatively portrayed.
Brazilian Blacks are not sitting around begging for the white Brazilians to let them into their companies and businesses. Black Brazilians are creating their own companies, for they like African Americans, know there is a very large worldwide Black population who speak portuguese and who would appreciate seeing Brazilian culture on screen. Unlike some of us in the U.S., who are constantly lied to and told that "whites don't watch Black movies," therefore Hollywood will not invest in Black movies, Brazilians and Blacks in the U.S. have been working together on their own to create their own product and to take the Black market that the same people claiming there is no market for Black movies have been exploiting.
The Unification of Black Brazilians with the Rest of the Black Americas
The creation of the Organization of Africans in the Americas and the holding of their meeting in Venezuela in 200 was a very significant step. Blacks in the Americas total about 250 to 300 million, with 200 in Latin america and the rest spread out over the Caribbean and North America. Black in this context means people of African descent, African genotype, phenotype and African origins regardless of language spoken. The fact that people of African descent in the Americas are even more closely connected than are Russians Jews with Sephardic Jews, yet, no one will say Russian Jews are Sephardic Jews are not Jews (at least most white folks). Hence, it is hypocritical and downright racist to attempt to divide the black race by saying that a person with a few drops of blood from another reace, but with a predominantly African phenotype is "multi-racial" "colored" or "mulatto," as is done in Brazil, South Africa and now being attempted in the U.S. At last Afro-Brazilians, seeing the trick to weaken them are rejecting these classifications and claiming the title, Afro-Brazilian or Black Brazilian
African-Brazilians are strengthening their African heritage and culture, uniting as African people.
Brazil has had a history of division of Blacks since the days of slavery. In Brazil shades of color from Cafe-au-lait to pure Black has been labeled and classified into a number of shades and castes, similar to the first aspects of the caste or"varna" used to divide and conquer india.
From the beginning of Brazilian history, one aspect of human interaction has been a fact of life. That aspect is the abuse and violation of African females by the slavemasters which brought into existence the many varieties of skin color resulting from European exploitation of Africans and Indians.
Yet, slavery in Brazil was not like slavery in the U.S., where slaves were totally debased to the extent that every effort was made to destroy the African language, culture, religion and intellectual capacity. In Brazil, the number of slaves imported was quite large.
Origins of African-Brazilians
Most of the Africans who were sent to Brazil came from West Africa and Congo-Angola between the mid 1500's to the late 1880's. Angola, one of Africa's important kingdoms had been organized long before the 12th century. The Portuguese arrived in Angola during the 1400's. By the 1500's they were involved in trade and trying to spread their religion in Angola. One of Angola's kings, Matamba and his daughter Nzing Matamba, the Queen of Angola during the 1600's, fought the Portuguese for many years to stop the destruction of their country and the rapid enslavement of the Central African People, who were being shipped to Brazil, the spanish colonies and later the U.S. (Many Black Americans west of Florida are of Angolan/Congolese origins. Louisiana's 'Congo Square' or 'Angola' institution was named due to the connection with Angola.
The ancestors of African-Brazilians also come from west africa, parts of East Africa, Southern Africa and all the areas where the Portuguese colonized, including Mozambique.
Brazils First Educational System Began by West Africans
The first system of private education in Brazil was begun by the African Muslim Societies whose members came from West Africa. The enslaved Africans who came from the literary and West African college system, were hired to teach the children of the Portuguese slavemasters. At the same time, these Africans created their own schools.
African Religion, Language and Culture in Brazil
Brazil has retained many aspects of African culture from the very beginning of its colonial history. The Africans sent to Brazil came from a number of important kingdoms and empires. They included the Mende group from the Guinea region of West Africa, the Yoruba from Benin and Nigeria, the Tiv and Ashanti from Ghana, the Congo-Angola kingdoms.
Yoruba Religion, Angolan Martial arts
There are aspects of African culture that Africans in Africa, have allowed missionaries from the European and Arab world to destroy traditional African Religions. African religions thrive in Brazil, whether it Mdanba or Candomble. These religons are like a steel bond that holds African Brazilians to their African Heritage and culture.
The Kingdom of Palmares and African Brazilian Revolutions During Slavery.
Africans have been visiting Brazil since prehistoric times. In fact, over the years African skulls dating back over 30, 000 years ago have been found in North-Eastern Brazil (National Geographic; also Scientific American, Sept. 2000) See also the book, "A history of African-Olmecs: Black Civilizations of America from Prehistoric Times to the Present Era," published by 1st Books Library, www.1stbooks.com)
The enslaved Africans sent to Brazil came from parts of Africa where the Arabs and Portuguese had been engaged in war with the African. In places like Mali, Mauritania and the Sahel Region, many captives were warriors captured in warefare. They were shipped to the coast of West Africa and then to Brazil. In kingdoms like Bushongo (Zaire) and the Angola Kingdom, there were against the spanish and portuguese invaders and slave raiders.
African Brazilians and The Preservation of African Culture and Self.
Over the past many years, the idea of Oludum, a call for African-Brazilian cultural renaissance, has gain foothold in the conciousness of Brazil. Black conciousness in Brazil is growint to such an extent that those Brazilians who mixed are refusing to let the portuguese/german/european elite divide them more than they already are. Today in Brazil, more brazilians are rejecting terms of skin complexion that were used to dived Black people in Brzzil.
African Brazilian rebirth includes the return to creating masterpieces of artwork using the African style. Musical instruments, carvings, paintings, drums, clothing, hats, religious items, and a large variety of cultural items are being created daily by Africans in Brazil. This is a phenomena that is also occurring all over the Caribbean, where local arts, crafts, and industries of a traditional type such as wood carving and pottery making is adding to the economy.
It is apparent that many African Brazilians realize that no matter their skin tone, their African origins and their African heritage and forefathers and foremothers remain in their conciousness. They realize that the slavemasters exploited them all, no matter the shade of skin. African Brazilians are also very well aware that long before the Europeans and Arabs invaded Africa, there were nations with a range of skin tones, heights, sizes and from various cultures. Brazilian slaves from southern Africa tended to be lighter complected than those from Guinea and those from Sudan were taller than those from other places.
Among the aspects of culture that Afro-Brazilians have been developing over the many decades is the Angolan Martial art called Capieira. Capoeira is of Angola Bantu origins and it was used in Brazil by slaves to defend against the Portuguese and Dutch slave owners and raiders. Capoeira is second in popularity to soccer in Brazil.
Brazilian music like Samba is also being cherished along with other types of Afro-Brazilian music. The religions like Candomble, Mbanda and other spiritualists religions are of great importanced to Afro-Brazilians because these are religions where humans participate in what could be called spiritual activities. They do not recite an event that occurred thousands of years ago, or read a book from such an event. In African religions like those practiced in Brazil, spiritual events and rituals are made to exist.
The Push for Black Brazilian Independence and Nationhood
Racism in Brazil is of the most devastating kind. In Brazil with about 80 million Blacks, like the rest of latin America, with tens of millions, the destruction of Blacks is taking place in a systematic manner. Recently the Final Call News discussed a meeting held by the Organization of Africans in the Americas (held in Venezuela in the year 2000), to discuss the racist genocide being applied to Blacks in Latin America. This genocide is being carried out by the elimination of Black children from the streets, throwing thousands of Black men in camps, racist discrimination and other forms of racism. In the rest of Latin America, the pattern is the same. Blacks are neglected and in some cases not even considered part of the population. One clearly sees that when Mexicans talk of their nation being 'Spanish and Indian,' and not accepting the fact that Mexico is also African and has been African for thousands of years, or that today in Mexico, there are millions of African people and several more who have African ancestry.
There has been lots of discussion by the Germanic-Italian-Portuguese settlers in South-western Brazil about seperating form the rest of Brazil and creating seperate nation. Yet, in the history of Brazil, the North-eastern part of Brazil, with its huge Black population, included one of the first slave kingdoms in Latin America. That kingdom was the Kingdom of Palmares, and it had a king called Zumbi. Zumbi and others established a series of quilombos and controlled and area of land in what is toda the state of Alagoas. Today, Zumbi is a heroic figure in the history of Afro-Brazilians and the revival of the feeling and desire for independence by Afro-Brazilians is seen as the solution to the ending of racism, neglect, genocide and oppression of Blacks in Brazil. Brazil may in fact be the nation that leads a black renaissance and social change in Latin America, where black culture, religion, art, language, food, music and other cultural contributions are no longer stolen by the white latin elite, while they are systematically oppressing Blacks at the same time. This trend sounds very similar to the same scheme of racism and cultural genocide occurring in other parts of the world. In some cases Blacks sit back and let the oppressors trick them into rejecting their Black culture, yet in Brazil, the exact opposite has happened. Blacks in Brazil are holding on to their own religion and culture and are working to liberate and free themselves.
Brazilian Government to Implement Affirmative Action
Recently, there was a move by officials in Brazil to implement affirmative action solutions to address the racist motion picture industry where the only Blacks seen are maids, criminals and gardeners. The very same trend is common in Latin American television and movies right here in the U.S. Due to this racist trend, there have been protest by Blacks in Brazil who are tired of being negatively portrayed.
Brazilian Blacks are not sitting around begging for the white Brazilians to let them into their companies and businesses. Black Brazilians are creating their own companies, for they like African Americans, know there is a very large worldwide Black population who speak portuguese and who would appreciate seeing Brazilian culture on screen. Unlike some of us in the U.S., who are constantly lied to and told that "whites don't watch Black movies," therefore Hollywood will not invest in Black movies, Brazilians and Blacks in the U.S. have been working together on their own to create their own product and to take the Black market that the same people claiming there is no market for Black movies have been exploiting.
The Unification of Black Brazilians with the Rest of the Black Americas
The creation of the Organization of Africans in the Americas and the holding of their meeting in Venezuela in 200 was a very significant step. Blacks in the Americas total about 250 to 300 million, with 200 in Latin america and the rest spread out over the Caribbean and North America. Black in this context means people of African descent, African genotype, phenotype and African origins regardless of language spoken. The fact that people of African descent in the Americas are even more closely connected than are Russians Jews with Sephardic Jews, yet, no one will say Russian Jews are Sephardic Jews are not Jews (at least most white folks). Hence, it is hypocritical and downright racist to attempt to divide the black race by saying that a person with a few drops of blood from another reace, but with a predominantly African phenotype is "multi-racial" "colored" or "mulatto," as is done in Brazil, South Africa and now being attempted in the U.S. At last Afro-Brazilians, seeing the trick to weaken them are rejecting these classifications and claiming the title, Afro-Brazilian or Black Brazilian
