To make a long story short, I decided not to explain Brazilian racial relations (here), mainly because it’s so complex and deeply rooted that I wouldn’t be able to lay it all out for you in just a few words… but also because I had trouble coming up with an explanation that would suffice… All in all, my experiences have given me new way of seeing the world, period.
Around 3 p.m., 200+ people congregated on the street in front of Ilê Aiyê’s home in the Liberdade neighborhood, where this world famous Afro-Brazilian “bloco” prepared its lines of drummers to lead the crowd on the 5-km walk (“caminhada”) from there to Pelourinho, the center of Salvador’s historical district. Samba-like music and announcements related to black consciousness blasted from speakers the size of the truck that carried them. Mobile venders were ready with their wheelbarrows balancing coolers which overflowed with 50-cent cans of beers or bottles of water. Around 4 o’clock, fireworks went off to signal the start of the march.
With every step we took and every corner we turned, more and more people joined the march… until it was virtually impossible to move freely. Walking to either the beat of the drum or to the beat of the music broadcasted by loud-speaker, we moved rather slowly at first—practically stepping on each others feet, weaving around the venders, the news reporters and the drumming “blocos,” trying not to lose each other (I walked with two colleagues, our program’s co-director, and her parents), etc. Overall, I felt like a fish swimming in a huge flowing river of beautiful dark waters.
After 2 hours of walking only 3 km, some of us went down to the lower city of Salvador to take a bus to get to our destination faster—Pelourinho. There, we (along with at least a thousand people) wondered through the streets, listened to some (free) conscious Brazilian hip hop and reggae music (on the main square), watched the “caminhada” (that we were in) arrive, and hung out with our friends there.
… Since then…
I’ve been real busy with my project—interviewing, reading, writing, etc…
I’ve enjoyed spending time with my family and friends…
And I plan to write more later when I have time… (in another 2 weeks, right before coming home! – Dec. 20!!)
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