Announcing the Dandara dos Palmares Internationalist Black Feminist Fellowship
Promotional graphics for the Dandara dos Palmares Internationalist Black Feminist Fellowship. Graphic by Sed Miles.
We are proud to announce the launch of Black Women Radicals’ Dandara dos Palmares Internationalist Black Feminist Fellowship.
The Dandara dos Palmares Internationalist Black Feminist Fellowship is a six-month online residency hosted by Black Women Radicals for emerging, working-class Black feminist organizers, artists, and educators whose work is dedicated to building, expanding, and transforming the frame of reference of Black feminisms through political, cultural, and artistic means. Named in honor of Dandara dos Palmares, a 16th century Black Brazilian warrior and Queen of the Quilombo (maroon settlement) of Palmares, who resisted Portuguese colonizers until her death, this fellowship serves as a global and community-centered Black feminist quilombo, where Black feminists can build, create, dialogue, experiment, write, and more in efforts to explore the power of Black feminist politics, possibilities, imaginations, and futures.
The fellowship will host emerging Black feminists from working-class and poor backgrounds to disrupt classist and elitist positionalities that often undergird our understandings of fellowships and residencies and its privileging of prominent upper-to-middle class academics and activists. Moreover, the fellowship serves to disrupt and decenter Black feminisms that overwhelmingly focus on the Global North to continue to build radical left Black feminist solidarity and internationalist praxis. In honor of its namesake, the first Dandara dos Palmares Internationalist Black Feminist Fellow is from Brazil, which houses the largest Black population in the African Diaspora. We are proud to announce that Anastácia Flora Oliveira is our inaugural Dandara dos Palmares Fellow!
The first organizational partner of the fellowship is Atlantic Archives, which helps working class, grassroots groups, and individuals in Brazil to create community-driven heritage projects and connect them with a diverse, international network. Black Women Radicals has previously partnered with Atlantic Archives on the fourth iteration and first global campaign of Black Feminists Taught Me, a t-shirt capsule and collaboration between Black Women Radicals and Philadelphia Printworks. The campaign with Atlantic Archives honored and celebrated Black feminists in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
Meet our Dandara dos Palmares Internationalist Black Feminist Fellow: Anastácia Flora Oliveira
Image of Anastácia Flora Oliveira. Photo courtesy of Anastácia Flora Oliveira.
Anastácia Flora Oliveira is a native of São Félix in the Recôncavo region in Bahia. She draws strength and identity from her roots, fueling her passion for photography and social activism. From a young age, Anastácia was captivated by the family photo album, meticulously cared for by her paternal grandmother, Mariínha, in recognition of its significance as a repository of cherished memories for their black family in the Recôncavo. Her grandfather, Demó, also played a role in shaping her love for photography through his enthusiasm for capturing moments and striking poses.
Supported by her family's encouragement, Anastácia participated in two group exhibitions alongside renowned Bahian photographers during her teenage years. These experiences further ignited her interest in the art form. Pursuing her passion, she graduated with a degree in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Multidisciplinary Studies in Ethnic and African Studies at the university.
Anastácia's research focuses on exploring photographic collections belonging to black families from the Recôncavo da Bahia, embodying her identity as a documentary and experimental photographer. In 2021, she was invited by Sed Miles to join the Backpackers Arquivistas project, an opportunity that inspired her to establish the Negre Archive. Through this initiative, Anastácia documents the existence and experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the Recôncavo da Bahia, aiming to amplify their representation.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Anastácia is an active member of the Atlantic Archives and the Lelia Gonzalez Fellowships, which provide a nurturing space for her personal and professional growth. She is grateful for the chance to learn from her mentor, Sedrick, and her fellow fellows, as they collectively empower each other.
Anastácia's work is dedicated to the memory of her grandfather, Demó, a visionary black man who always encouraged her to strive for excellence. Today, he guides her as an ancestral presence, fueling her determination to make a difference through her artistic and scholarly endeavors.