Between myth and memory: historical, political and theoretical crossings between Gilberto Freyre and Lélia Gonzalez

Abstract

Throughout the 20th century, Gilberto Freyre developed political and theoretical projects that made him one of the most important Brazilian interpreters. His theories, however, have already been widely contested. The myth of racial democracy, propagated by him, was transfigured into national ideology and consequently opposed by both researchers and activists. The resurgence of the Brazilian black movement in the late 1970s is strongly aligned with this opposition. Lélia Gonzalez, who was a remarkable figure in this context, articulated the intersectionality of her own experiences in the production of a pioneer and revolutionary study on Brazil, largely opposed to Freyrean fallacies. Thus, this article aims to outline the historical, political and theoretical crossings between the two authors in order to deepen the understanding of both and, moreover, to show a vision contrary to the Lusotropical model. Interpreter of Ladino-Amefrican Brazil, Lélia Gonzalez, with her life and work, dismantled the myth and restored our memory.