2nd Defend Black Women March Archive: Honoring Marielle Franco and Black Feminisms in Latin America and the Caribbean
Collage by Doriana Diaz.
By Black Women Radicals
An archive of the 2nd Defend Black Women March, which honored Afro-Brazilian bisexual feminist, activist, and politician, Marielle Franco, and Black Feminisms in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Overview of the 2nd Defend Black Women March Weekend
From July 29-July 31st, 2022, Black Women Radicals co-hosted the 2nd Defend Black Women March, which took place in Washington, D.C. The March was in honor of Afro-Brazilian bisexual feminist, activist, and politician, Marielle Franco, and Black Feminisms in Latin America and the Caribbean. The March was co-chaired by Jaimee A. Swift, executive director and founder of Black Women Radicals and The School for Black Feminist Politics, and Trinice McNally, Creative Director of the “I Support Black Women” campaign and Co-Creator of the Defend Black Women March.
On Friday, July 29th, the March Weekend kicked off with a free film screening of SEMENTES (SEEDS): BLACK WOMEN IN POWER (2020) by Éthel Oliveira and Júlia Mariano at the Eaton Hotel. Seeds: Black Women in Power shows the transformation of mourning into struggle. In response to the brutal execution of Rio de Janeiro city councilor Marielle Franco, the 2018 elections turned into the biggest political upheaval led by Black women that Brazil has ever seen. There was a post-film screening with Anielle Franco, sister of Marielle Franco and the Executive Director of the Marielle Franco Institute.
On Saturday, July 30th, the 2nd Defend Black Women Rally and March began at 11:30 AM EST at Malcolm X (Meridian Hill) Park in Washington, D.C. The event was moderated by Cici Battle, founder of The Frolic Culture, with DJ Tiffany Flowers, Campaign Director of The Frontline. Speakers at the event included Anielle Franco of the Marielle Franco Institute; Renae Green, Executive Director of TransWave Jamaica; Keri Gray, Founder of NAMD Advocates; Nakisha M. Lewis, President and CEO of Breakthrough US; Lauren Williams-Batiste, Network Coordinator of In Our Names Network; Afeni X of Freedom Fighters DC; Aniery Zapata and Asia Alman of the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project; Nef of Until Freedom DC; Aisha Becker-Burrowes, Director of Impact and Co-Founder of Feminist; Dr. Sharrelle Barber, founder of The Ubuntu Center on Racism, Global Movements, and Population Health Equity; Pascale Solages of NÈGÈS MAWON; Tassiana Oliveira and Jossana Vaz of the Kilomba Collective; Yemi Miller-Tonnett of Black Feminist Future; Vanessa Garrison of GirlTrek; Nandi Barton of Mamatoto Village; and countless others.
On Sunday, July 31st, we closed the 2nd Defend Black Women March Weekend with Political Education Salon Series. The Salon Series included: Asé to Axé: Transnational Black Feminisms and the Role of Solidarity in African Spiritual Practice; Radical Reproductive Justice Now!; Black Women Deserve: Sex and Pleasure; Chinga La Migra: Defend Black Women; and "Marielle virou semente!" (Marielle became seed): resistance, empowerment, and hope.
July: A Month of Black Feminist Resistance
July is a month of resistance and solidarity for Black women and gender expansive people in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year (2022) marks the 30th anniversary of International Afro-Latin, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women’s Day, which is celebrated annually on July 25th and was created in honor of the first summit of Afro-Latina and Afro-Caribbean Women in the Dominican Republic in 1992. July is also recognized as Julho Das Pretas (Black Women’s July), which was created by Odara-Instituto da Mulher Negra (Odara-Black Women’s Institute) in honor of Black women’s movement building in Brazil. July is also the birth month of Afro-Brazilian theorist and activist, Beatriz Nascimento, and Black American revolutionary, Assata Shakur.
July is the month that we lost Black American activist, Sandra Bland, who was found hanging in a jail cell in Walker County, Texas on July 13, 2015-three days after she was unjustly arrested. In the United States, July is Disability Pride Month. Annually, July 31st is International African Women’s Day. Also, July 27th of this year, would have been Marielle Franco’s 43rd Birthday. On Franco’s birthday, the Marielle Franco Institute revealed a life-size statute of the councilwoman in
We are grateful that the 2nd Defend Black Women March Weekend is a part of the month of July’s Black feminist resistance, organizing, and activism.
Press/Articles about the 2nd Defend Black Women March
2022 ‘DEFEND BLACK WOMEN’ MARCH ANNOUNCED FOR JULY 29-JULY 31 IN WASHINGTON, D.C. by Black Enterprise
Defending Black Women Must Be A Political Priority Everywhere by Trinice McNally
“I Am Because We Are”: Marielle Franco and the Political Mandate of Black Feminist Solidarity by Jaimee A. Swift
Melody Ehsani x 2nd Defend Black Women March Charm Bracelet: Black Women In Defiance
‘Black Women Radicals’ Pay Homage to Slain Queer Afrobrazilian Activist, Marielle Franco by Sed Miles
Designer Melody Ehsani’s Latest Collection Honors ‘Black Women in Defiance’
2nd Defend Black Women March - Black Women in Defiance Salon Series by Breakthrough US (Watch)
Defend Black Women March Weekend: Photo Archive
Photos by Getty and Nyrie Benton.
2nd Defend Black Women March Official Graphics
The Official 2nd Defend Black Women March Graphics were created by Jay Curry and the Website was created by Tyler Hicks.
Honoring Historical Black Feminists from Africa and the African Diaspora
For the March, we honored 9 historical Black women and gender expansive people from the African Diaspora. The 9 Black women and gender expansive activists included: Marielle Franco (Brazil); Andaiye (Guyana); bell hooks (United States); Mamá Tingó (Dominican Republic); Mary Jones (United States); Nanny of the Maroons (Jamaica); Nehanda Abiodun (United States/Cuba); Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau (United States); and Sara Gómez (Cuba).
Graphics by Jay Curry
Other 2nd Defend Black Women March Official Graphics
Official Graphics for the 2nd Defend Black Women March. Created by Jaimee Swift of Black Women Radicals.
2nd Defend Black Women March Welcome Packet
The 2nd Defend Black Women March Welcome Packet details the events of the March Weekend. Please click on the image to view.
The 2nd Defend Black Women March Welcome Packet details the events of the March Weekend. Please click on the image to view.
DBW Pre-March Events
We co-hosted and collaborated with various organizations for several pre-March events, which highlighted Black feminisms from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Melody Ehsani x 2nd Defend Black Women March: “Black Women in Defiance” Bracelet
Melody Ehsani partnered with the “I Support Black Women” campaign and Black Women Radicals for the “Black Women in Defiance” charm bracelet that is in support of the 2nd Annual Defend March. The collaboration entailed a “Black Women in Defiance” charm bracelet of 10 Black women and gender expansive radicals who have rebelled, resisted, and led with defiance. The 10 Black Women in Defiance featured in the bracket include: Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Lélia Gonzalez, Billie Holliday, Audre Lorde, Josina Muthemba Machel, Lady Chabliss, Ann Lowe, Wangari Maathai, Olive Morris, and Mary McLeod Bethune.
On Saturday, May 21st at 1 PM PST in Los Angeles, we participated in Melody Ehsani’s very first person event at the newly renovated ME store! “I Support Black Women” founder Trinice McNally; Black Women Radicals founder and executive director Jaimee Swift; and Nakisha M. Lewis, President and CEO of Breakthrough were in conversation with Melody Ehsani.
Photos taken at Melody Ehsani Shop by Keenan Rhodes
In this conversation, the iconic jewelry, footwear and clothing designer Melody Ehsani, “I Support Black Women” Campaign Founder Trinice McNally, Black Women Radicals Founder Jaimee Swift, and Breakthrough President & CEO Nakisha M. Lewis will examine the importance of honoring, celebrating, and centering the women who are in defiance in their lives and will discuss how they lead in defiance across varying sectors including arts, culture, education, fashion, and politics. These Women of Color leaders will share their experiences of overcoming systemic obstacles in their fields and what inspires them. The discussion will focus on building solidarity amongst Women of Color, strategies to dismantle systemic injustices, and the role fashion/culture play in honoring the legacy of women across the world.
Women and Whiskey Wednesdays: A Fundraiser for the 2nd Defend Black Women March
On Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 at 6:00 PM EST, there was a Women and Whiskey Event fundraiser for the 2nd Defend Black Women March at Ìpàdé, the first co-working space and event space for Black women, femmes, and gender expansive people of color in Washington, D.C. The event was hosted by Women and Whiskey Founder, Enchanta Jackson, and reproductive justice scholar, Krystal Leaphart.
Photos by ShaDonna Jackson
Feminist x Somewhere Good x Black Women Radicals
From July 18-24, 2022, co-founders of Feminist, Aisha Becker-Burrowes ad Ky Polanco, convened Black Women Radicals and Somewhere Good as part of the first-ever ‘FEMINIST Salon Series’ through a multi-channel activation and community pop-up with Somewhere Good, the newly launched Black and Queer-owned social platform for thoughtful conversations on your phone and IRL. The series featured both in-person and virtual community conversations at Somewhere Good, founded by Naj Austin, in Brooklyn New York about intersectional solidarity for social, racial and reproductive justice. The week-long experience will extend to a nationwide audience featuring peer-to-peer audio conversations in the Somewhere Good app’s ‘Deep Discourse World’.
Photos by Paola Chapdelaine
“I Am Because We Are”: On The Power of Global Black Feminist Solidarity - A Birthday Tribute to Marielle Franco
In honor of Marielle Franco’s 43rd Birthday, Black Women Radicals hosted the event, “I Am Because We Are”: On The Power of Global Black Feminist Solidarity - A Birthday Tribute to Marielle Franco.” at The Outrage in Washington, D.C. This discussion This discussion centered the concept and philosophy of Ubuntu (“I am because we are”, which was Franco’s political campaign slogan, “Eu sou porque nos somos”) and applied it to past and present examples of global Black feminist movements, solidarity, resistance, and politics.
The event was hosted by Jaimee A. Swift, executive director of Black Women Radicals, with speakers including Trinice McNally and Náthaly Calixto.
Photos by Emani Cannady and Jaimee A. Swift
Defend Black Women March Weekend: July 29-31st, 2022
July 29th: Film Screening of Screening of SEMENTES at Eaton DC
Photos by Nyrie Benton
On Friday, July 29th, the March Weekend kicked off with a free film screening of SEMENTES (SEEDS): BLACK WOMEN IN POWER (2020) by Éthel Oliveira and Júlia Mariano at the Eaton Hotel. Seeds: Black Women in Power shows the transformation of mourning into struggle. In response to the brutal execution of Rio de Janeiro city councilor Marielle Franco, the 2018 elections turned into the biggest political upheaval led by Black women that Brazil has ever seen. There was a post-film screening with Anielle Franco, sister of Marielle Franco and the Executive Director of the Marielle Franco Institute.
July 31st: Political Education Salon Series
Photos by Nyrie Benton
On Sunday, July 31st, we closed the 2nd Defend Black Women March Weekend with Political Education Salon Series. The Salon Series included: Asé to Axé: Transnational Black Feminisms and the Role of Solidarity in African Spiritual Practice; Radical Reproductive Justice Now!; Black Women Deserve: Sex and Pleasure; Chinga La Migra: Defend Black Women; and "Marielle virou semente!" (Marielle became seed): resistance, empowerment, and hope.
Messages of Transnational Black Feminist Solidarity: Renata Souza and Tainá de Paula
Afro-Brazilian feminist politicians, activists, and organizers, Renata Souza and Tainá de Paula, sent their messages of support and solidarity to the organizers of the 2nd Defend Black Women March.
Born and raised in Favela da Maré, Souza was elected as a state councilor in 2018 with a record number of 63,937 votes, which made her the most voted politician amongst Rio de Janeiro's left-wing parties. de Paula is an elected councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro for the Workers' Party. She’s a Black woman, mother, and Architect and Urbanist.
Video Captions and Translations by Kilomba Collective