Revolutionaries: Lélia Gonzalez

Episode Summary

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In this episode of Womanica, guest host Erin Haines, editor-at-large for The 19th News, delves into the life and legacy of Lélia Gonzalez, a pivotal figure in the Black Brazilian feminist movement. Born on February 1, 1935, in southeast Brazil, Lélia was the second youngest of 18 siblings. Despite the norm for children in her family to end their education after elementary school, Lélia pursued further studies, a decision that set her on a path of intellectual and activist pursuits. Initially, Lélia attempted to distance herself from her Black identity to fit into higher education spaces, a struggle that intensified when she married a white man, leading to familial conflict over the interracial marriage. This personal turmoil prompted Lélia to reconnect with her roots, guided by her mother's influence. Lélia's academic journey led her to earn a PhD in social anthropology, and she became a faculty member at a university in Rio de Janeiro. Her scholarly work, which focused on the intersection of gender and race, evolved into active participation in Brazil's Black movement. She was instrumental in founding the Black Cultures Research Institute and the Unified Black Movement Against Racial Discrimination, as well as Nzinga, the first community collective for Black Brazilian women. Lélia's activism was not confined to academia and community organizing; she also ventured into politics. She played a significant role in the Workers' Party and later the Democratic Labor Party, advocating for anti-racism and participating in the creation of a new Brazilian constitution that criminalized racism and domestic violence, and recognized the territorial rights of Black communities. Lélia Gonzalez's contributions to the Black feminist movement in Brazil and Latin America were profound. She coined and popularized terms that centered the experiences and struggles of Black and Indigenous communities, highlighting the role of women in these groups. Her work emphasized the importance of culture, from language to dances, as a core element of liberation and consciousness. Lélia passed away in 1994 at the age of 59, but her legacy as a revolutionary thinker and activist continues to inspire. This episode of Womanica not only celebrates Lélia Gonzalez's life but also underscores the ongoing relevance of her work in the fight for racial and gender equality.

Episode Show Notes

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Lélia Gonzalez (1935-1994) was a Brazilian professor, anthropologist, activist, and politician. She was a pioneer in the emergence of Black feminist theory throughout the 1970’s and 80’s. She founded the Unified Black Movement Against Racial Discrimination, and served as a leader and counsel through the re-democratization of post-dictatorship Brazil.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_00: Hey, y'all.I'm Erin Haines.I'm the editor-at-large for The 19th News, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics, and policy.I'm also the host of a brand-new weekly podcast from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network called The Amendment.Each week, we're bringing you a conversation about gender, politics, and the unfinished work of American democracy. Our very first episode features my dear friend and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Nicole Hannah-Jones.It's out now.So please go listen and follow the show.On top of all of this, I'm your guest host for this month of Womanica. This Black History Month, we're talking about revolutionaries, the Black women who led struggles for liberation from violent governments, colonial rulers, and enslavers. These women had the courage to imagine radically different worlds, and they used their power to try and pull those worlds into view. A great intellectual and defender of women's rights, her work was vital in shaping Black Brazilian feminist theory.Today, we're talking about Lelia Gonzalez. Lelia was born February 1, 1935, in southeast Brazil.She was the second youngest of 18 siblings, born to an indigenous mother and a black father.Children in Lelia's family typically only went to school through their elementary education and then left to start working and to support the family.However, as one of the youngest, Lelia was able to access new opportunities.She continued studying after elementary school, More and more, Lelia attempted to distance herself from her Black identity to be accepted into higher education spaces.She later described the experience as brainwashing. Lelia attended university where she studied history and philosophy.But when she married her first husband, a white man, her internalized division from her racial identity became unavoidable. Once her husband's family realized the couple was legally married and not just merely in a sexual relationship, they were outraged and strongly opposed the interracial marriage.Lelia realized she needed to undo the internalized prejudices she'd absorbed.She credited her mother as the figure that helped ground her back down into her roots, her people, and their reality. Lelia took this restored sense of self back into the world of academia.She earned a PhD in social anthropology and joined the faculty at a university in Rio de Janeiro, where she lectured and studied the intersection of gender and race.Her academic work quickly turned to action. She was part of the Black Cultures Research Institute, one of the most renowned organizations of Brazil's black movement in the 1970s.Leila also founded the Unified Black Movement Against Racial Discrimination and Nzinga, the first community collective for black Brazilian women. At the core of liberation and consciousness, Lelia emphasized the crucial needs to protect and practice culture, from language to dances to education.In 1980, she helped form the Workers' Party.And in 1982, she ran for a federal congressional seat and won enough votes to place as an alternate. A few years later, she left the party over what she felt was a lack of commitment to anti-racism.She joined the Democratic Labor Party, where she again ran and placed as a substitute candidate in the state legislature.Following the end of a long military dictatorship, a rising movement around the redemocratization of Brazil was growing, and Leila stood at the forefront. From 1986 to 1988, Lélia participated in the creation of a new Brazilian constitution, which criminalized racism and domestic violence.The new constitution also granted territorial rights to Black communities founded by previously enslaved people. In 1988, Lelia published one of her most renowned articles, in which she coined the term, and popularized the phrase.Both terms aim to center the disenfranchised Black and Indigenous communities of Latin America, and emphasize the role of Black and Indigenous women in the resistance to dominant groups. In 1994, Lelia passed away at the age of 59. All month, we're talking about revolutionaries.For more information, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast.Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan for having me as a guest host.Talk to you tomorrow.