Beyond Black America: Insights from Brazilian History is the focus of this compelling online talk by friend of WoW Professor Stephen Small, urging us to look beyond familiar narratives of the Black experience. While Black America has profoundly shaped global Black identity, the Black experience across the Americas is far more diverse.
Join us for this insightful online talk as Professor Small explores the rich and often overlooked history of Black Brazilians, relevant to Liverpool. He will illuminate key differences: Brazil has twice the Black population of the US, primarily Portuguese-speaking, with a slavery history beginning centuries earlier and tragically involving ten times more enslaved Africans. Brazil was the last independent nation in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888.
Crucially, the talk will highlight the remarkable resistance of enslaved people in Brazil, where larger, sustained rebellions led to extensive Maroon communities – a vital, often overlooked history. As a Guest Curator at Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum, Professor Small will also touch upon Liverpool’s historical trade and political relations with Brazil.
Professor Stephen Small taught at the Department of African Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1995-2024. He is Director of the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues since 2020. Born in Toxteth, he earned his PhD in Sociology at the Unversity of California, Berkeley in 1989 and has held visiting positions at universities in the UK, Netherlands, France, Spain, Brazil, Japan and Zimbabwe.
*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact info@writingonthewall.org.uk. All queries will be treated in confidence.
Online
£5.00
Date: May 12, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm
Ends: 7:30 pm
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