Unveiling the Mirror: Afro-Brazilian Identity and the Emergence of a Community School Movement

The United States and Brazil share important historical similarities, having just enough significant differences to hold a certain mystique for each other. They are, in a way, mirror countries that have dealt with very similar circumstances but in very different ways. Both countries have had to develop national unity over vast geographical territories. Both have acted as relative imperialist powers in their respective regions. Both have extremely heterogeneous populations including Indigenous peoples, Asian and European immigrants, and the descendants of African slaves. Both carry a legacy of slavery that has influenced and shaped current-day race relations. While African Americans have gained worldwide recognition for both their cultural production and political struggles, many people are not aware that Brazil has the largest population of African descendants in the world outside of Nigeria.