Brazil is a country with the largest black population outside of the African continent. However it has often been the subject of dialogue regarding the strenuous challenges many of it’s black citizens face on a daily basis. When it comes to natural hair, the attitudes toward it are strained. Just this past week, we covered the backlash, talented Afro-Brazilian actress Taís Araújo received after revealing her natural hair.
Now the Afro-Brazilian community has decided to embark upon change with their first ever Natural Hair Empowerment March also known as “Marcha do Empoderamento Crespo.” The March took place last Saturday, November 7 in S lvador. This was exactly 41 years after the historic first march that marked the start of the Black Power movement in Ba’hia in 1974.
Organizers Lorena Lacerda, Andrea and Naiara Souza Gouveia say the idea from the march was launched from their Curled and Curled Facebook group and the need for such an event is clear:
“Women suffer from both sides. Racism and sexism. Therefore, we use the concept of empowerment. From the aesthetics, the woman empowers and empowers the community” [translated]
Another organizer, Naira Gomes also chimed in:
“So good to say, aesthetic for us is political. The hair is a symbol, a pretext to fight against racism.” [translated]
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Marco Musse
Credit: Heder Novaes
Credit: Heder Novaes
Have you seen any other marches for Natural hair internationally?
It was a great day.…and a FIRST day.…but just for Salvador. Other cities with Black communities had empowerment marches before Salvador, most notably in Minas Gerais.
So much beauty in this post wow!
Check my gurls out “YOUR BEAUTIFUL N EVERY WAY!!!!!!
I am so HAPPY to see the real Indigenous Brazilians yes yes!!!!!!!
…Indigenous Brazilians actually look similar to those from Mexico. Please don’t endorse settler colonialism through erasing us.
Good for them!
OMG..Love these photos. They look beautiful and radiate such pride and confidence. I have never wanted a blue afro until this moment. Attitude Black. I am going to research the original march.
Am i the only white male that thinks natural hair on a black girl is.. well, awesome? I don’t get it.. I lived in Chicago and met so many girls who would hide their beauty under some shitty wig or terrible weaves. Be who you are.. you’re fucking sexy with those curly fluff locks!!! Please don’t hide it!
Sometimes wigs and weaves can be worn as a protective style, but I agree with you for the most part. Historically our natural hair has been seen as ugly or unattractive and not the standard of beauty. There’s a lot historically and psychologically to it that you might not understand.
Candytripn — Thank you for seeing and speaking to the beauty that is inherent in African kinks and coils. It’s been a long time coming for those of us who have super curly hair to stop allowing others to dictate beauty standards that ignore or ostracize what’s ours to live and deal with — hair or otherwise. It’s indigenous, it’s part of who we are, and will not and should not be bred out of/eliminated from our DNA. Having kinks and coils have inspired us to achieve high levels of creativity when it comes to hair care. Our hair provides… Read more »
How can anyone hate something so beautiful?
This was not the first, and some of the pics you show are from the one this summer in são paulo. I was there in sp when it happened. It was a very powerful event!
Love it!/
Love it! Now I am nursing MAJOR hair envy. Ugh!
this is actually one of several such marches across the country. therewas one very big one in São Paulo this summer. some of the pictures above, such as the one from Karol Conka, are from the SP march. I was in attendance. It was a very beautiful and emotionally moving event. please see this link for local news coverage, more pics, and translations: http://thesaladbowl.kinja.com/footage-my-translation-re-the-natural-hair-pride-mar-1735971428
Next will be in Porto Alegre!!! November 15th. I’ll be there!
In my mind I thought,“Brazilians know they are black!?” But it’s very nice and heart warming to see a Natural hair movement being paraded on a international level. I thought it would only be one texture appreciated but I’ve seen afro puffs, Afros, braids, and twa’s. This is worth sharing on Google. Not to mention while I was looking at these photos, most of these ladies kind of resemble us. Blue and green definitely compliments them.
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So when are we marching here in the US? lol we need to get it together!
word!!
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ahhh.…The African Diaspora is a beautiful thing.
Good to see the natural hair movement is going international/world wide.
This is awesome. There are people too.
When I see them, I see us in the USA. I kind of feel more connected to them than Blacks in other parts of the world.
The best thing to do is to not label l people in the first place, saying someone is this and someone is that only serves to create division in the end..Its to good to be proud of your heritage and who you are as a people, but those labels always come back to bite us in the back.
This is just everything…
These are so yummy. I love the curls, the colours and the attitude.
Genuine question though: if this is what most people from Brazil look like, whose hair is that being marketed as “brazillian weave”?
Actually Brazil is a rainbow nation. Salvador is our blackest metropolitan area. Brazil isn’t half black, it’s half “white” (with 1–10% of people being white by U.S. and European standards, but >25% being white by Mexican, Cuban, Chilean and Argentine standards) and half visibly racialized. We have a lot of regional variation. For example, Santa Catarina was 94% white in our 1940 census, when the entire country was around 65% white. We’re the post-2060 United States, but with a lot more of race-mixing. Pardo is not synonymous with lightskin black people but rather brown-complexioned non-Indigenous people of all kinds, including… Read more »
Actually Brazil is a rainbow nation. Salvador is our blackest metropolitan area. Brazil isn’t half black, it’s half “white” (with 1–10% of people being white by U.S. and European standards, but >25% being white by Mexican, Cuban, Chilean and Argentine standards) and half visibly racialized. We have a lot of regional variation. For example, Santa Catarina was 94% white in our 1940 census, when the entire country was around 65% white. We’re the post-2060 United States, but with a lot more of race-mixing. Pardo is not synonymous with lightskin black people but rather brown-complexioned non-Indigenous people of all kinds, including… Read more »
I love the array of natural hair styles on all ages, from cute black girls, to young adult and older black women. I can feel the aura of cultural unity, and those smiles lighting up their faces show how content these women feel at the freedom to be true to themselves in this environment that’s free of judgment and rich with culture. Beautiful. This feels inspiring to me as a black woman.
Love it!! more men was here than in other movements like in US : open-minded
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OMG this is beautiful..The Diaspora is awakening. Ladies carry the torch and must lead the nations out of darkness.
Where can I find that black attitude shirt. I LOVE it!
[…] http://bglh-marketplace.com/2015/11/40-incredible-photos-from-brazils-first-natural-hair-empowermen… […]
Events like this are very inspiring to me.
[…] few Black folks in prominent roles on TV, many in the country still hold antiquated views about Black hair, so Dunn’s appearance on one of the most iconic fashion rags is pretty […]
[…] 40 Incredible Photos from Brazil’s First Natural Hair Empowerment March […]
That is so awesome…so awesome that we are having our first Natural Hair Empowerment March on August 20, 2016 in Detroit!!!! Can’t wait to make history with these event!!!!!
and when are they going to visit home in Mozambique, Africa lol
What they are doing is very good. This whole thing of putting artificial hair like black Americans is nonsensical. You will never see a white woman who puts a black wig on her head. This has a lot to do with doubting your real identity and adopting fake practices they do not define you. What seems to amaze us is that this has been adopted by African woman who have taken it a step further by using skin lightening creams. Way to go for them in embracing their true identity. I’m waiting for the South African edition of this then… Read more »
WOW! All the more power to them!!!
Cabelo Crespo baby!
black women come in all shades. Those who say otherwise are narrow-minded for even in Africa we have very light skinned non mixed women
OMG!!! I Looooooove this. I wish this march was global. That would be so freaking awesome to see black women marching in unison across the globe in our natural beauty.
The people in the pictures are absolutely breathtaking.
All that beautiful hair. Love it!
So awesome! Muito obrigado!
Your turn America
I am so happy to seeing brazilian women with theirs curly hair. For us is a daily battle go out our houses to fighting against racism. In Brazil the racism is different of USA ‚diferente culture, diferent people, but the pain is similar.I am grateful about your supporting.
Some of this images are not from this march, are from another “marcha do orgulho crespo” in São Paulo!