July 7, 2024
ISP Member Jahzelle:
On July 7 2024, our second to last day in the beautiful city of Rio De Janerio we kicked off the day with sunny skies and warm weather in this distinctive Brazilian air. Something we had lacked the previous day. Having been here for almost a week many of us were itching to buy souvenirs to eventually bring back to New York City. That itch had been scratched when we arrived at the long awaited “hippie fair” at ipanema beach, where the previous day we had experienced it’s rough and high waves. There we all got the chance to buy some of the hand crafted trinkets, jewelry and clothing made by the crafty vendors. Many others and I were excited to test out our bargaining skills to bring some of the outrageous prices down, however some of us successful and others were not.
After, the fair we visited a museum that focused on the black history and indigenous cultures that run rampant through the Brazils veins. We were exposed to the artworks, traditions and inspirations through the eyes of people of color in this country. I can confidently say one of those artworks stood out to me: a dark-skin woman breast feeding her baby. It reminded me of the feminity that all women share and life that woman give and maintain.
In the second half of the day we visited little Africa in the heart of Rio de Janeiro Where we were introduced to the site where slaves were transported and sold way back in the 1800’s. It laid heavy on our hearts that we were near a place where pain, violence and injustices had been so openly accepted towards African people. To learn that they were violated in life and in death resonated with me as a black person, to know that these acts happened outside the U.S hurts just as bad.
Not all was disheartening though, as we were able to acknowledge the pain of the past we also were able to celebrate the excitement of the future. We joined the end of June parade in little Africa emersing ourselves into the smoky and laughter filled night in the colorful circle. Most of us took a liking to the churros, cotton candy and the popcorn sold there. To see all the dancing and lifting up was heartwarming to see, however at the end of it many of not all of us were starting to get tired after another long day of walking and taking information.
To end off the day we went to a local restaurant around our first hotel and ordered variety of foods, French fries, steaks, sandwiches, omelets. Unfortunately, one of our members got ill this night and we all hope that she gets well and takes care of her body. One of our members Julieta will be leaving us tomorrow, however for the week that she spent with us she brought energy, and thoughtful comments to the conversations and group discussions. We will surely miss her, but we also look forward to learning, growing, and lifting up not only ourselves but each other throughout the duration of the rest of the trip.
