The Unified Black Movement in Brazil, 1978-2002

by David Covin

Overview

Brazil in the late 1970s was a country of racial tension and inequality. During this time, a number of independent Black organizations sprang up from older roots, giving the black population a place to create, develop and share narratives about life in Brazil. Within these organizations, they developed a sense of racial consciousness that gave rise to the Movimento Negro Unificado (MNU) in 1979. The MNU, or Unified Black Movement, created an outlet for racial grievances and gave a voice to those previously unheard.

This intensive historical study of Brazil's Movimento Negro Unificado centers on the political effects and ramifications of the group. In order to present a complete picture of the MNU, it looks at the organization within four separate contexts: international, national, historical and human. Through this approach, the MNU is examined in relation to the African Diaspora, the European colonization of the Americas, the Atlantic Slave Trade, and the development of Brazil as an independent state. From a national perspective, the MNU is viewed amid other social organizations and cultural expressions. The result is a detailed study that admits the organization's shortcomings but assesses them contextually, providing a more complete and nuanced understanding of the significance of the MNU's problems and achievements. Appendices offer additional information such as the MNU Letter of Principles, the Constitution of the MNU, the preamble to the MNU Action Program and the MNU Hymn. A glossary is also included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786424382
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	09/05/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.54(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

David Covin is Professor Emeritus of Government and Pan African Studies at California State University, Sacramento.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction     

1. Racialized Societies     
2. A Consideration of Genesis: The Brazil That Produced the MNU     
3. The Brazilian National Context: Harbingers of Change     
4. Independent Black Organizations     
5. A Confluence of Vectors: The Construction of the MNU     
6. A Dozen Years: The Organizational Foundation     
7. A Journey in the Wilderness: The Quest for Black Political Power     
8. Deus ex Machina: The Centrality of Contexts Within Contexts: 2000 to 2002     
9. The Fate of Eschatology: How Do We Assess the MNU?     

Glossary     
Appendix I: MNU Letter of Principles     
Appendix II: The MNU Hymn, by Nethio Benguela     
Appendix III: The Preamble to the MNU Action Program     
Appendix IV: The Constitution of the MNU     
Notes     
Bibliography     
Index