Lélia Gonzalez

Brazilian anthropologist and activist who pioneered black feminism and anti-racism education in Latin America.

Lélia Gonzalez (1935–2021) was a groundbreaking Brazilian anthropologist, writer, and founder of the Movimento Negro Unificado (MNU). Born to Afro-Brazilian parents, she exposed systemic racism through her 1970s writings like 'Consciência Negra e Questão Brasileira.' Her work challenged Brazil's 'racial democracy' myth, revealing entrenched inequalities.

Gonzalez co-founded the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Afro-Brazilian Studies department, institutionalizing race studies. Her concept of 'black feminism' influenced global movements, emphasizing intersectionality before Kimberlé Crenshaw's terminology. She collaborated with Angela Davis during the 1980s, merging international anti-racist strategies.

Her 1980s radio program 'Som e Arte' became a platform for marginalized voices. Gonzalez's 2001 book 'A Invenção do Brasil Brancos' critiqued national identity's Eurocentric roots. She advised UNESCO's Race and Ethnicity initiatives, shaping global anti-discrimination policies.

Despite her 2021 passing, Gonzalez's legacy persists through the Lélia Gonzalez Institute. Her activism inspired Brazil's 2012 affirmative action laws and #BlackLivesMatter adaptations in Latin America. The documentary 'Lélia: A Cor da Liberdade' (2020) highlights her lifelong struggle against cultural erasure.