Black Identities, Contemporary Literature, and Afro-diasporic Traditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT The goal of this article is to provide a critical appraisal of the religious tropes embedded in contemporary Black women’s writing in Brazil. By examining Afro-diasporic religious symbols in literary texts, I highlight the survival of African deities as a significant move to transform the lasting effects of historical repression against African-derived religions. As cultural warriors, Black women writers use African heritage as a strategy to redress the history of derogation of Black humanity, affirm racial identities, and revise the epistemic violence sanctioned by institutionalized Christianity.