"My hair, my crown". Examining black Brazilian women's anti-racist discursive strategies on social media. Issue 3 (1st September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trindade, Luiz Valério de Paula
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of Latin American and Caribbean studies. Volume 45:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 277
• Page End: 296
• Publication Date: 2020-09-01
• Subjects: Black women -- social media -- critical discourse analysis -- anti-racism -- gendered racism -- critical race studies; Mulheres negras; redes sociais; análise crítica do discurso, anti-racismo, racismo de gênero, estudo crítico do racismo; Latin America -- Periodicals; Caribbean Area -- Periodicals; 980.005
• DOI: 10.1080/08263663.2020.1769448
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0826-3663

Abstract

ABSTRACT: For a long time, Brazil has fostered the image of a post-racial society; however, data reveals that: a) racism against black women remains strongly ingrained in the collective mind-set, b) social media has become a breeding ground for the construction and dissemination of racist ideologies, and c) black women encompass the predominant target of racist discourses on social media. Thus, this qualitative study explores anti-racist discourses fostered by black Brazilian women on social media. Employing critical discourse analysis in a selection of publicly available Facebook posts, the study reveals that narratives praising an Afro hairstyle embody a relevant political positioning resisting Brazil's deep-seated gendered racism. They aim, first, to challenge Brazil's hegemonic "whitened" beauty standard; second, to convey a renewed perception of black esthetics as a legitimate source of ethnic identity; and, finally, they represent a strong symbolic element to manifest black women's agency and empowerment.