The history of Brazil and the world is full of examples of people who made a difference and who contributed to a more egalitarian world. They left their mark on politics, activism, music, sports, film and literature.
In celebration of the Black conscience day, scheduled for November 20, now discover some inspiring stories from black personalities who have left their mark on the world.
1. Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)
Nelson Mandela was one of the best known representatives of the African Continent. He was a political leader and was president of South Africa between 1994 and 1999.
Since his days at law school, he had already demonstrated political leadership motivated by his concern for black African youth and population. While still in college, he joined the student movement and made his first political demonstrations, taking a stand against the apartheid.
Mandela was the best known rebel leader against the apartheid, the regime separated the black population, denying them all the political, economic and social rights that were guaranteed to other people.
He was a political prisoner in 1962 on the grounds that he encouraged revolutionary movements. sentenced to life in prison for the crimes of conspiracy and helping other countries to invade Africa of the South. He was imprisoned for 27 years, being released in 1990 after a strong international campaign led by the African National Congress.
Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His history and actions were so important in the fight against apartheid that the United Nations (UN) defined July 18 as Nelson Mandela's International Day.
2. Martin Luther King (1929 - 1968)
Martin Luther King is considered one of the most important names in the history of the struggle for the civil rights of the black population of the United States. In addition to being an activist in the black movement, he was also pastor of the Baptist Church.
Its history with activism has many important moments, such as the struggle for the right to vote, the movement for an end to the segregation of the black population, in addition to the search for civil rights that were not granted to blacks in that era.
Luther King was strongly influenced by the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi, who preached non-violent combat and, therefore, was a believer in peaceful activism. For his importance in the fight against racial discrimination he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Martin Luther King died at age 39. He was murdered in April 1968 and his death is fraught with doubt. The best known theory about his death reveals that the assassination was ordered by the US government.
3. Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005)
Rosa Parks was an American activist who became a symbol of the anti-segregation struggle in the United States. She had her life marked by activism against racial prejudice, fighting the racism that existed in the country.
In 1955, by having an attitude of confrontation in a situation of racism, it marked the history of the struggle for civil rights of the black population. In this episode, Rosa was asked to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. Faced with the negative response, she was expelled from the bus and arrested for violating the city's Segregation Law.
This fact gave rise to a series of demonstrations that culminated in the emergence of a movement that boycotted buses in the city of Montgomery, Alabama. The movement sabotaged the city's transport service, as a way of denouncing the racial division that was taking place, not only in transport, but in various spaces frequented by the black population.
The boycott movement gained a lot of strength. It was led by Martin Luther King, who was a pastor in town and was still unknown at the time. As a result, the following year, the Supreme Court of the United States declared the unconstitutionality of racial segregation on public transportation in the state of Alabama.
4. Nina Simone (1933 - 2003)
Nina Simone was an American singer and pianist whose career was marked by civil rights activism and black resistance.
The singer always included in her songs the themes that portrayed the difficulties by which the black people passed, marking the social inequalities between whites and blacks and their feeling of revolt with this difference.
From the 60s onwards, these themes became more present in Nina's songs and the theme of the fight for civil rights became one of the most striking points in her work. Some of the most famous songs that express her struggle are Mississippi Goddam, Ain't got No / I got life, I wish I knew how it would feel to be free and To be young, gifted and black.
Nina Simone's strong political position brought damages to her career, such as boycotts and fewer invitations for presentations. Even so, the singer remained convinced with her decision to using music as an instrument for reflection and political struggle.
Nina Simone died in 2003, after a long struggle with breast cancer.
5. Elizabeth Eckford (1941)
Elizabeth Eckford has also become one of the symbols of the anti-racist struggle in the United States because she was one of the first black people to attend a white school.
In the 1950s, the country began a slow process of ending racial segregation. Until then, there were laws that defined that certain places, such as schools, could only be attended by whites. Thus, there were schools attended only by blacks and others only by whites.
After the publication of a law that intended to end racial segregation in schools, some black students started to attend schools for whites. Elizabeth Eckford was one of the first black students to attend the Little Rock Central High School. She, like other black students, was not well received, having been the victim of insults, debauchery and other violence.
The resistance of Elizabeth, who at 15 years old decided to stay at the school where she was not well received, facing all the discrimination, was photographed and reported in the country, making her a symbol of black resistance and the fight against racism.
6. James Brown (1933 - 2006)
James Brown was an American singer, songwriter and dancer who enjoyed great success from the 1950s onwards. It was an important influence in the history of several musical genres, especially funk and soul, which earned it the nicknames of father of funk (father of funk) and godfather of soul (Godfather of soul).
Among his greatest musical successes are Get up, I got you, Try me and Ain't it funk now.
Despite his successful career, James Brown did not set aside his concern for activism, especially to highlight the importance of education in the lives of young people, with special emphasis on young people from the black community in the States United.
During his career James Brown used his image for activism, developed social work, participated in popular demonstrations and acted in benefit shows to draw the world's attention to the fight for rights civilians.
7. Carolina de Jesus (1914 - 1977)
Carolina Maria de Jesus was a Brazilian writer who, from her passion for writing, found the strength to overcome the difficulties of poverty and racial discrimination.
Living in a favela in São Paulo, single mother, housekeeper and paper collector, she managed to overcoming these difficulties to write about racial prejudice and social inequality in the country in the decade of 40. Despite her little study, she had a differentiated ability to describe everyday difficulties that she faced.
She launched the book Quarto do Evicção in 1960, arousing the curiosity of society at the time. From that, she had fame, money and left the favela. The enthusiasm for the work of Carolina de Jesus did not last long. She died again poor and already forgotten. In 2014, the centenary year of her birth, she received several honors and recognition for her work.
Among her most important books are Storage Room, in which he tells the cruel reality of life in the favela and Bitita's Diary, an autobiography in which Carolina tells the difficulties and efforts to overcome prejudice, material needs and racial discrimination.
8. Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)
Michael Jackson is one of the most famous singers in the world, being considered the richest and most successful artist in history. He started his career in childhood, joining the Jackson 5 group, with four other brothers.
As an adult he had a solid solo career, marked by hits such as albums Thriller, Bad and dangerous, between others. As an activist, he recorded the song We are the world, together with Lionel Richie and other artists, to raise funds to fight hunger in Africa. He was also marked by the dance step moonwalk.
During his life he was involved in controversies, such as the whitening of his skin and the change in appearance, the construction of the ranch neverland, accusations of child sexual abuse, paternity by artificial insemination and addiction to painkillers.
The singer died at age 50 due to cardiac arrest due to an overdose of anesthetic drugs.
His life story and career were told in documentaries Michael Jackson This is it and Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to off the wall.
9. Jesse Owens (1913 - 1980)
Jesse Owens was an American athlete, Olympic medalist in running, relay and long jump.
However, it's not just by being a successful athlete that Jesse Owens has made history. In 1936, at the Berlin Olympics, Jesse won all the competitions in the disciplines he competed in, reaching a world record.
The story goes that he would have been ignored by Adolf Hitler and would not have received the compliments for his place on the podium. However, Jesse Owens' greatest victory at the Berlin Olympics was to provoke and confront, through his victories, the idea that the white race was superior.
Jesse Owens died at age 66 of lung cancer.
10. Alice Walker (1944)
Writer, activist and feminist Alice Walker was best known for publishing the book the purple color, which tells the story of sexual abuse, motivated by machismo and racial discrimination in American society. The book received National Book Award and Pulitzer prizes and the story was adapted for film.
From a very young age Alice stood out for her awareness of the difficulties that resulted from racial segregation in the United States in the 50s and 60s and for her defense of minority groups. She was the top student at her school, receiving a scholarship for her performance and, already in college, she joined movements that fought for equal civil rights for the black population.
Alice was married to Melvyn Leventhal, a civil rights lawyer. They lived in Mississippi and were known for being the first interracial couple in the state.
Due to their militancy for civil rights, the couple was persecuted several times throughout their lives, even by the Ku Klux Klan, American extremist movement that preached white supremacy and supported anti-migration policies.
11. Malcolm X (1925-1965)
Malcolm X was an American activist who dedicated his life to drawing the world's attention to the issue of hate crimes and racism. He was an advocate of the Black Nationalism movement, which advocated defining the identity of the black population. He advocated the use of violent means as a method of defense against prejudice.
He had a troubled life due to family tragedies, such as the murder of his father and the hospitalization of his mother for psychiatric problems, having lived much of his childhood in orphanages, due to these events. During his youth he became involved in crime, carrying out robberies and selling drugs. He was arrested at age 21 and during his imprisonment became a voracious student of Islam.
After his release from prison he became a leader of the now peaceful resistance against racism and for the liberation of blacks. His activism was embraced by the Black Panthers and Black Power movements.
He was murdered at age 40 during a speech in Harlem, the neighborhood where he lived as a young man. His trajectory is told in the film Malcom X, directed by director Spike Lee.
12. Muhammad Ali (1942 - 2016)
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay, was an American boxer. He is ranked as one of the greats in the history of world sport. In his career, he has participated in 62 fights, being victorious 57 times. The sportsman had 37 knockout victories.
Muhammad Ali adopted this name after his conversion to Islam. Because of his closeness to religion, he also became close to Malcolm X and they became political and religious partners. He was also very close to Martin Luther King.
The sportsman also had a strong tendency towards political positioning, especially linked to the fight against racism. He was keen to use his image to question the denial of civil rights to the black population, regardless of the damage that such ideas could bring to his sports career. For his political performance, he received the nomination of Messenger of Peace of the United Nations (UN).
Muhammad Ali died in 2016 as a result of more than thirty years of living with Parkinson's Disease.
13. Spike Lee (1957)
Spike Lee is an American writer and filmmaker who stands out for his film production with an emphasis on the identity of the American black. His works always portray prejudice and marginalization of black people, in addition to the assertion of cultural identity and all other nuances of racial themes.
In addition to criticisms of racism, he is known for his commitment to portraying the daily difficulties of minority groups, exhibiting and denouncing the reality of the lives of minorities.
His most successful films are: Do the right thing, Last minute, Blood Brothers and Malcom X. The most recently, BlackKkKlansmam, tells the story of Ron Stallworth, a black policeman who risked his life on an infiltration mission in the Ku Klux Klan.
14. Bob Marley (1945 - 1981)
Bob Marley was the most famous Jamaican singer and songwriter. He was responsible for spreading and popularizing reggae.
He was a supporter of the Rastafarian religion, whose main figure was Haile Selassie I, emperor of Ethiopia between the 1930s and 1970s. Rastafarian preaches the union between religiosity and politics and fights against the idea that there is one race superior to another. All these elements were very present in the lyrics and career of Bob Marley.
A good part of his songs were about social problems and inequalities suffered by black people, especially by the Jamaican people. Likewise, Bob pointed out in his lyrics that the solution to these problems would come from freedom and love.
In 1962 Bob Marley created the band The Wailers, which exists to this day. Among his most famous songs are: Is this love, No woman no cry, Satisfy my soul, Lovely up yoursefl, Stir it up and Redemption song.
Bob Marley was diagnosed with cancer in 1980 and underwent various natural treatments. He died in May 1981 from this cancer that has spread to several organs.
15. Angela Davis (1944)
Angela Davis is an American professor, philosopher and activist who works to defend women's rights and end racial discrimination. He is a very important personality for black feminism, which emerged in the United States in the 1960s.
The activist's work stood out in the 70s, especially because Angela was part of the Black Panthers, a party revolutionary who advocated the application of social policies to end inequality and oppression of the population black. The most radical part of the party's role was linked to the armed monitoring of police activities, to prevent violent attacks against blacks. The Black Panthers was an organization that had a lot of power to act and fight against the police.
During her life, Angela lost jobs, was harassed and was even arrested on charges of conspiracy and murder, being later found not guilty. Her arrest generated a commotion from various social movements and artists such as John Lennon.
Despite this, even today Angela is active in the fight for the freedom of women and blacks, she is a staunch critic of the American prison system and the death penalty. On the fight against racism, she makes a categorical statement: in a racist society, it's not enough not to be racist, you have to be anti-racist.
16. Ray Charles (1930 - 2004)
Ray Charles was an American pianist and singer who became known from the 1950s onwards for being one of the pioneers in blues, soul and jazz rhythms. To this day she is considered one of the greatest singers in the world.
In his musical career, he was also known for being a blind pianist, a condition that acquired around the age of seven, probably due to an infection that affected his eyes. Because of this, Ray studied at a school for the visually impaired, where he learned to compose music and make musical arrangements.
As a way to combat racial prejudice, during his career, Ray Charles refused to present in places where there was segregation, such as establishments that did not allow the entry of black people. Some of her most famous songs are: Unchain my heart, I got a woman, Georgia on my mind and Cry Me A River.
Her life story was told in the movie Ray.
17. Hattie McDaniel (1895 - 1952)
Hattie McDaniel was an American actress who was marked in film history for being the first black actress to receive an Oscar. She received the award in the year 1940 for her acting as a supporting actress in the film Gone with the Wind. Hattie, who was also a singer, was the first black woman to perform on a radio.
She acted as an actress for twenty years, from 1932 to 1952. During this period, American society was still experiencing strong racist waves and the actress had to fight against the prejudices of the time. Her resistance did not prevent her from having a job as an actress at certain times, a fact that forced her to work as a maid.
In addition to acting, Hattie was also a critic of the American film industry. Whenever she had the opportunity, she stressed that cinema should allow more opportunities and diversity of roles for black actors.
18. Dandara
Dandara lived at the time of Colonial Brazil. She was a slave who managed to escape and became a warrior leader, who fought in defense of numerous attacks on Quilombo dos Palmares, where she lived. In this quilombo lived many blacks who had managed to escape slavery.
Dandara was married to Zumbi dos Palmares, leader of the quilombo, and together they fought for the freedom of all slaves and against colonial slavery. The defense of this space was fundamental, as the quilombo was the shelter for escaped slaves and the representation of the resistance of the black people to slavery at the time.
She was arrested in 1694 in one of the many attacks suffered by Quilombo de Palmares. In an act of desperation, in order not to return to the condition of a slave, Dandara ended up committing suicide.
19. Ron Stallworth (1953)
Ron Stallworth is a retired American police officer. Throughout his police career he was part of the Colorado Springs Police Department. He was the first black policeman to join a police department in the region.
His specialty, since the beginning of his career, were secret missions, one of which, in particular, marked his trajectory. In 1979 he started an investigative mission for the Ku Klux Klan, an extremist organization that preached white supremacy.
In order to carry out the investigation, the policeman managed to infiltrate the organization. Ron made most of his contacts with members of the Ku Klux Klan via telephone and the mission was so successful that he was even accepted and certified as a member of the group.
He told his story with the Ku Klux Klan in the book Black Klansman and the account was adapted for the cinema in the film BlackKkKlansman.
20. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1977)
Chimamanda is a Nigerian writer, speaker and activist who debates issues related to the social sciences, especially racism and feminism. The writer argues that education is the most effective weapon in combating prejudice.
The author uses her writing to bring to light debates that she considers essential in combating oppression and prejudice, especially for women. It raises questions about social stereotypes, freedom, female empowerment and abuse in power relations.
One of her most famous books is called We should all be feminists. In her work, she addresses black feminism and ideas about the cultural construction of genders. In addition to this book, she has other successful publications such as Purple Hibiscus, Americanah and To educate feminist children.
Despite being very young, he has already received several awards for his literary contributions.
know more about Racism and the importance of Black conscience day. Also know some important moments in the fight against prejudice and racism.