Young quilombolas in motion: thefight for theen forcement of Human Rights at Salvaterra – Pará

Abstract

The present work questions “what is to be a youngster in a quilombola community?” and seeks, through participant observation, to identify which representations of youngsters there are among the quilombolas of Salvaterra and how this identity construction as a quilombola takes place. Concerning the identity construction, it is important to take the social markers into consideration, as they ensure a more adequate approach on the complexity of “being a young quilombola”. The work makes a remark on the agency of the correspondents in the black and quilombola movements by evaluating the political and organizational empowerment they achieve with the help of the Abayomi group, which aims to reinforce the African culture and prepare new leaderships. The political action brought out changes in the perspective of the quilombolas concerning their future, since the access to college is within sight, and so far contributes to the fight against violence and rights violations.