African Body Markings and Racialization in 18th Century Brazil

Speaker/Performer Name
Aldair Rodrigues
Uptown Campus
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
Seminar Room of the Latin American Library

This talk delves into the intricate construction of Blackness in eighteenth-century Brazil, with a particular focus on the perceptions of the multiplicity of African origins and its relation to body markings. It engages with a diverse array of social actors, ranging from Portuguese crown officials and traders to Africans and their descendants. These individuals provide valuable insights into the meanings ascribed to body adornments (scarification), which were often interpreted by colonists as indicative of one's homeland. 

Aldair Rodrigues, Assistant Professor, Department of History at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP)