Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC Room 2325
Mar 08, 2019
4:00 PM (GMT-5)
Host:
Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Raúl Grijalva
Sponsors:
The Center for Economic and Policy Research, the Washington Office on Latin America and the U.S. Network for Democracy in Brazil.
CEPR, the Washington Office on Latin American and the U.S. Network for Democracy in Brazil sponsored a screening of the short documentary "I, A Black Woman, Resist" followed by a discussion with two leading experts on racism and feminism in Brazil about the life and legacy of Afro-Brazilian leader Marielle Franco, a staunch critic of police brutality and state-sanctioned violence who was assassinated on March 14, 2018.
Deeply rooted in the longstanding tradition of Black Feminist activism in Brazil, Marielle Franco dedicated herself to speaking truth to power and to uplifting and empowering marginalized communities in Brazil up until the final moments of her life. Featuring a first-hand account from Dr. Barber of the last event that Marielle attended at Casa das Pretas (Black Women's House) on the night of her assassination, this short documentary seeks to raise awareness, build consciousness, and facilitate dialogue around the necessity of transnational solidarity in the fight against racism and the global struggle for Black Lives.
Co-Director Dr. Sharrelle Barber spoke and answered questions about her inspiration to create the documentary, which bears witness to Marielle Franco’s life. Dr. Gladys Mitchell-Walthour discussed the broader context of human rights and democracy in Brazil and the status of the Afro-Brazilian rights movement at this challenging juncture in the country's history.
