RESUMEN
Este estudo objetiva resgatar e analisar os processos de luta pelo reconhecimento das comunidades quilombolas do RN, com destaque ao processo de constituição das mulheres como lideranças políticas e comunitárias. Para tanto, realizamos observação participante e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 07 mulheres lideranças durante o Encontro das Comunidades Quilombolas do RN, em 2018. As entrevistas foram transcritas na íntegra e procedemos a análise de conteúdo, na modalidade Análise Temática. Os resultados revelam obstáculos institucionais ao processo de reconhecimento, às precárias condições de vida e de acesso às políticas públicas, à fragilidade do apoio comunitário, racismo, sexismo, à sobreposição das funções doméstica, agrícola e comunitária. Assim, para as mulheres encampar a luta quilombola representa uma dupla batalha: de um lado, o reconhecimento da própria comunidade como quilombola; e, de outro, o reconhecimento de seu lugar enquanto mulheres negras, produzindo enfrentamentos às opressões de gênero e ao racismo nas suas diversas expressões.
This study aims to rescue and analyze the processes of struggle for the recognition of quilombola communities in Rio Grande do Norte, with emphasis on the process of constitution of women as political and community leaders. To this end, we carried out participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 07 women leaders during the Meeting of Quilombolas Communities of RN, in 2018. The interviews were transcribed in full and we proceeded to content analysis, using Thematic Analysis modality. The results reveal institutional obstacles to the recognition process, the precarious living conditions and access to public policies, the fragility of community support, racism, sexism, the overlapping of domestic, agricultural and community functions. Thus, for women to take up the quilombola struggle represents a double battle: on the one hand, the recognition of the community itself as quilombola; and, on the other hand, the recognition of their place as black women, producing confrontations with gender oppression and racism in its various manifestations.
Este estudio tiene como objetivo rescatar y analizar los procesos de lucha por el reconocimiento de las comunidades quilombolas de RN, con énfasis en el proceso de constituir a las mujeres como líderes políticos y comunitarios. Para esto, llevamos a cabo una observación participante y entrevistas semiestructuradas con 07 mujeres líderes durante la Reunión de Comunidades de Quilombolas de RN, en 2018. Las entrevistas se transcribieron en su totalidad y se procedió al análisis de contenido, en la modalidad de Análisis temático. Los resultados revelan los obstáculos institucionales para el reconocimiento, las precarias condiciones de vida y de acceso a las políticas públicas. La fragilidad del apoyo mutuo, el racismo, el sexismo, y la superposición de las funciones domésticas, agrícolas y comunitarias. Por lo tanto, para las mujeres asumir la lucha quilombola representa una doble batalla: por un lado, el reconocimiento de la comunidad misma como quilombola; y, por otro, el reconocimiento de su lugar como mujeres negras, produciendo confrontaciones con la opresión de género y el racismo en sus expresiones más diversas.
RESUMEN
The everyday lived experiences of Southern Black American women in the United States (US) are rarely explicitly characterised in Black Feminisms' discourse. The lack of an active discourse surrounding the Southern Black women's identity is a glaring weakness in the broader discussion of feminism (Rushing, 2009; 2017). From Black women who historically worked as day workers, cleaning the homes of white families while their families fended for themselves, to the contemporary phenomena of home health care aid workers charged with cleaning and caring for individuals, often older and white, Southern Black women's ways of knowing have framed not only the civil rights movement (Emmons et al, 2013); but also contemporary social movements such as #SayHerName and the agency of digital social phenomena such as Black Twitter. Past social movements emphasised space and the meaningfulness of the South concerning civil rights, yet current discourse fails to integrate region and location in the narrative of these movements, thus missing opportunities to explore the "complexity and explanatory power" place contributes (Rushing, 2017:1). The proliferation of digital platforms such as podcasts, videos, social media stories focused on health demonstrate how Black women are reclaiming their health, and bringing others along with them. However, the theorisation of what we term Southern Black Feminisms, specifically as it relates to Black women's health, is lacking. This theoretical article, informed by qualitative and quantitative data from both authors' previous research, will build a profile for Southern Black women in the US, characterise Southern Black Feminisms and propose a Southern Black woman informed, evidence-based framework addressing health inequities among Southern Black women. The goal is to demonstrate how the experiences of everyday Black women in the US South and the Global South are connected, especially with African Diasporic women, and consider how potential alliances can contribute to collective resistance and action.
