{"id":32774,"date":"2016-09-16T13:27:08","date_gmt":"2016-09-16T16:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=32774"},"modified":"2016-09-22T12:47:56","modified_gmt":"2016-09-22T15:47:56","slug":"afro-spring-raises-awareness-of-black-identity-and-black-beauty-in-rio-de-janeiro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=32774","title":{"rendered":"Afro Spring Raises Awareness of Black Identity and Black Beauty in Rio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, September 10 marked the beginning of Primavera Afro (Afro Spring) and the 6th edition of the Feira Crespa<\/a><\/span>, with the goal of recognizing value in\u00a0black culture and black beauty in Rio de Janeiro. The event took place in Campo de Santana park in Rio\u2019s downtown area, where about 150 people gathered throughout the day to discuss institutional racism<\/a> and black identity, display fashion created by black designers, practice capoeira<\/a>, dance to hip-hop and black Brazilian music<\/span>, and support local black entrepreneurs and artists.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The name of the event, Feira Crespa, literally translates to curly or kinky hair fair, reflecting the movement of black women across Brazil towards accepting their natural hair and embracing afrocentric styles such as braids, twists, or dreads, rather than straightening, in rejection of white beauty standards and promoting racial awareness. Although this movement is not at all new to Brazil, as there were waves of people wearing their hair naturally as a political statement in the 1930s, 60s, and 70s, <\/span>the movement<\/a> has grown stronger in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Musicians<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday afternoon began with a panel of four black women discussing the psychological trauma racism imposes on black girls and youth starting as early as elementary school. Marcela Lisboa, activist, journalist, and member of <\/span>Casa da Juventude<\/a> stated, \u201c[Racism] also is a psychological violence. Actually, now, the fact that we have natural, curly hair, tall afros and braids, is a fact that we are liberating ourselves from the images of psychological violence that cast us as\u00a0ugly, because we are not.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Panel<\/a><\/p>\n

A recent YouTube video titled “Preconceito na Escola, Como Lidar?<\/em><\/a>” (<\/span>Prejudice in School, How to Deal with It?<\/span>)<\/span><\/i>, created by black stylist, Rayaza Nic\u00e1cio<\/a>, provides a window into such trauma. She discusses with her nine-year-old niece the difficulties she has already endured because of the texture of her hair. Her niece<\/span>\u00a0talks about hating her hair, wanting to straighten it, and avoiding going to school because she was told by her peers that her hair was ugly at a young age. She explains, between outbursts of tears, how when she was four she chemically straightened her hair and that it began to fall out a few years later. She took medicine and began to let her hair be natural. At the end of the clip, she states that she will never straighten her hair again, that she loves it the way it is, and if people have a problem with it they can leave. Videos, clips, blogs, events, and marches encouraging black empowerment and raising\u00a0awareness of racism inherent in the favoring of white, eurocentric beauty standards are currently emerging\u00a0throughout Brazil.<\/span><\/p>\n