Alzira Rufino and Miriam Alves: Afro-Brazilian writers/activists and issues of race, gender, class and writing

Résumé

This study seeks to present two women who feature among the leading black Brazilian writers of today. Alzira Rufino and Miriam Alves have both produced works and displayed through critical writings and activities their concern not only with other Brazilian women like themselves, but also with the Afro-Brazilian community on a broader scale. What I seek to do here is to describe them as writers, but especially to situate them within a context of black female militancy as this currently exists in Brazil. Ultimately I seek to establish a link between writing and activism, between literary analyses of society, moves to combat racism and discrimination, and black women’s agency.