CESE launches video on National Tereza de Benguela Day: “25 July: Footsteps that have come so far – Black Women in motion!”

On the day on which International Black Latin-American and Caribbean Women are celebrated in Brazil, National Tereza de Benguela and Black Women’s Day, CESE launched the video “25 July: Footsteps that have come so far – Black Women in motion!”  Through this audio-visual material marking the day, the organization added to the many black women’s manifestations, raising the profile of how the country was constructed through their contributions and trajectories.

The animated video reflects the struggles of the black women’s movements in their pursuit for rights and democracy, portraying the challenges faced by black women who live on Brazilian soil and showing what it means to have a black female body in a structurally racist, misogynist and fundamentalist state.  These are the women who experience the tension of oppression but who are also active, organized, striving and mobilizing support in the search for Good Living.

Marcella Gomez, CESE’s Projects and Training Advisor, notes that in the year in which CESE turns 50, nothing could be more appropriate than renewing our commitment to the struggles of black women: “Beyond dialogue and networking, training and support to projects, the video is also a way of raising the profile of black women’s role in resistance and their diverse agendas for the defence of life,” she asserted.

For her, this is a way of highlighting the injustice and violence they experience and, particularly, demonstrating their activism and engagement for a less unequal way of life. “Through this initiative, we aim to reaffirm the historical actions of black women in confronting racism and sexism in society, as well as in attaining and defending a range of rights,” Marcella concluded.

“25 July: Footsteps that have come so far – Black Women in motion” is a CESE film, with support from the Giving for Change programme and production by Coletivo Trama.

CESE and Black Women’s July

Conceived in 2013 by Odara – Institute of Black Women (Odara – Instituto da Mulher Negra), Black Women’s July mobilizes support to strengthen collective and autonomous political action by black women from various spheres of society.  It provides opportunities for debates and reflections about how to overcome the historical oppression of black women.

CESE, an ecumenical organization that works in the promotion, defence and guarantee of rights, identifies and recognizes the existence of environmental, institutional and structural racism in the history of the Brazilian State and society.  That is why we have been a partner in this initiative since its first edition: because we understand that this is an important tool to strengthen black women’s organizations, provide visibility to their struggles and mobilize support.

This year, as in others, the organization has supported activities for Black Women’s July around the country, particularly in the North, Northeast and Central-West – our priority regions – as an expression of our commitment to women’s autonomy and to tackling racism and gender inequality, creating the conditions for the advance of democracy in Brazil.

Made by

CESE

Support

Giving for Change

Text: Jô Pontes.

Editing (text): Vanessa Pugliese, Viviane Hermida, Marcella Gomez, Rosana Fernandes

Creation

Colab Coletivo Trama and Studio Lombra (logos)

Creative Direction | Zara Rodrigues, Maribê and Matheus Tanajura

Collages |  Zara Rodrigues

Illustrations and Lettering |  Maribê

Design | Flora Tavares

Image curation and scripting | Matheus Tanajura

Animation and Editing | Luisa Caria and Michele Ramos

Narration | Vitória Dias

Soundtrack | Andrea Martins