The Life and Legacy of Abdias do Nascimento

Abdias do Nascimento is a man well-known for his constant efforts to uphold the culture and people of his Afro-Brazilian heritage while also opposing racial injustice. Less than 30 years after Slavery in Brazil was abolished, Nascimento was born in Franca, São Paulo. Due to this fact, he was forced to grow up in a society deeply rooted with racism and systematic marginalization. He was personally impacted by the prejudice against Afro-Brazilians especially because he was the grandson of ex-slaves. Despite his challenges, Nascimento committed his life to education and advocacy, rising to prominence in the struggle for racial equality.

From an early age, Nascimento began to challenge the racist norms he witnessed in Brazil. His journey as an activist began when he was only a teenager as he joined the Brazilian Black Front which was Brazil's first black political party. Although Brazil never had a big civil rights movement, the Brazilian Black Front was a part of the Movimento Negro Unificado (MNU), or the Unified Black Movement.

Continuing his journey, Nascimento established the Black Experimental Theatre (Teatro Experimental do Negro) in Rio De Janeiro. This innovative endeavor sought to offer a space for black performers and creators to showcase their talents and question racial prejudices simultaneously. The Black Experimental Theatre also was a sponsor for multiple civil rights events such as the first congress of Brazilian Blacks. However, his influence spans much further than this. This short story of Nascimento's life and impact would become a novel if everything he ever did was described. The accompanying timeline will list more of the things that he did and was involved in.

Following a military coup d'état in 1968 Nascimento left his country and temporarily resided in Nigeria and the United States. While in this self-imposed exile he began to paint and his first major body of work was produced later that same year. He never strayed away from his heritage so he stayed connected with Pan-African affairs. His artwork was typically related to Afro-Brazilian culture and religion and they appeared throughout the United States in popular museums and art galleries. Around the same time this was going on he co-founded the Democratic Labor Party of Brazil (Partido Democrata Trabalhista).

Soon after returning to his home country in the 1980s Nascimento was appointed to the positions of congressman and senator under the Democratic Labor Party. In this position he promoted Afro-Brazilian rights, as he had been doing throughout his life. He was a senator up until 1999. By this point he was 85 years old but his work still didn't end here. Later in 1999, he became the first to head the Rio de Janeiro Department for Citizenship and Human Rights.

While all of this was going on there was a visible change in Nascimento's attitude but more specifically how that attitude was expressed. For those who didn't recognize it before, this change was very evident when interviewed by Professor. Henry Louis Gates Jr. in 2010 for episode 2, on Brazil, of his series entitled "Black In Latin America." Nascimento's tone had shifted from that of a somewhat calm but concerned citizen to someone who was clearly fed up and harshly condemned the Brazilian government, rightfully so. In his interview with Gates Nascimento sternly stated, "...I am saying this with profound hatred, profound bitterness of the way Black people are treated in Brazil, because its shameful that a country which has a majority of blacks, a majority who built this country should remain up to this day as second class citizens."

Only a year after Nascimento was interviewed by Professor. Gates, he passed away at the ripe age of 97 due to diabetes complications. To make it more relatable for Americans like myself, some may liken Nascimento to Martin Luther King Jr. because they both were leading advocates for nonviolent resistance when faced with racial injustice. In 2004, he received recognition from the current and then President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as “the greatest Brazilian political figure in the fight for Black rights and against racism, prejudice, and discrimination.” Nascimento's legacy continues to resonate in Brazil today, particularly among Afro-Brazilians who are inspired by him. His advocacy laid the groundwork for the celebration of Afro-Brazilian culture, fostering empowerment within his community. Through his artwork, academia, and activism he will continue being an influence for future generations in their fight for racial equality and social justice.