Rio de Janeiro's Carnival is using samba parades to spotlight Black Brazilian women writers who rarely get public recognition. The samba school Imperio Serrano on Saturday honored 79-year-old author Conceição Evaristo with a float at the Sambodrome. Two days earlier, Unidos da Tijuca dedicated its parade to the late diarist Carolina Maria de Jesus. Both writers came from poor backgrounds and write about hunger, racism and survival. Evaristo says the parade values knowledge born in Black communities. Supporters say de Jesus still speaks to Brazil’s struggles with education and equality. Scholars add that bias still shapes Brazil’s literary institutions.
