Philosopher and writer Sulí Carneiro, 75, was honored on Friday night (28) with the Jukka Bato Award for Intellectual of the Year. This recognition is granted by the Union of Brazilian Writers (UBE) and celebrates the release in 2024 of “Lélia Gonzalez: A Portrait” (Zahhar), written by Carneiro and an autobiographical essay by another intellectual of the Latin American feminist movement.
The award ceremony was held during the second edition of the Flipetrópolis Literary Festival, which takes place in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro.
In her speech, Sulé Carneiro thanked the people who came before her in presenting the award, and highlighted how this moment represents a historic shift, since until five years ago, all award winners were white, most of them men.
I also saluted the award winner, Lilia Gonzalez, who was, in her words, the beacon for understanding what she wanted to be as a fighter. The author also paid tribute to the writer Conceição Evaristo in Minas Gerais, who climbed the Sierra Mountains, as he turned 79 on Saturday amid another literary festival, the Flop Festival.
“To be recognized today as one of the major voices of national thought is extraordinary. It is extraordinary not in the sense of incompetence, but because of the historical displacement it reveals. I am first and foremost a black activist, feminist, and anti-racist.”
He revered Abdias Nascimento. “From this past comes the astonishment I feel at the honors that I, Conceição, Lilia, and many others have received. Not because we do not deserve them, but because we know the historical distance that separates us.” From the American bell hooks brought this phrase “More than any group of women, black women were considered mere bodies without minds.” He then read a poem by Fernanda Bastos about black women being auctioned off as nurses during slavery.
Later, he highlighted the paradox of the moment “because the racial conflict does not subside in Brazil. The global and national rise of the far right brings with it the intensification of racist practices and, above all, racist violence. The brutality that claimed the lives of 121 people in and between the Alemão compounds bears witness to this resurgence. They are black bodies, always black bodies, transformed into legitimate targets of the politics of death.”
Previously, Globonews columnist Flavia Oliveira introduced Solé to the audience, highlighting the role of the philosopher based on her books and traits of her behaviour, such as not speaking extemporaneously, but writing and also the role of the laureate at the Durban conference, thus in implementing affirmative action policies and more recently influencing reparations for economic empowerment in the international human rights system.
Election for the award is based on nominations from the Writers’ Union itself and other entities in the literary world, and voting among UBE members. In previous editions, writers Ailton Krenak, Ligia Fagundes Telles, Rachel de Queiroz, Jorge Amado, and Milton Hatoum, professor and literary critic Antonio Candido, diplomat and immortal Alberto da Costa e Silva, economist Precer Pereira, Dom Evaristo Arens, and Father Giulio Lancellotti were honored.
On this occasion, journalists Miriam Leitao and Conceição Evaristo, winners of the awards respectively in 2024 and 2023, spoke at the Palacio de Cristal, located in the center of Petrópolis. “The amazing thing about Sully is that she is a thinker and a doer,” Miriam said of the author.
Conceição revealed how good it is to pave the way and not just be the first, referring to her being the first black woman to win the award. “If all black women were as brave as you, many other black women would be here celebrating with you. We have time but there is still a long way to go.”
Doctor of Philosophy of Education from the University of the South Pacific, Soleil Carneiro was the first black woman to hold the title of doctor A proud reason She received her PhD from the University of Brasilia (UnB) in 2021. She was previously one of the founders of Geledés – Instituto da Mulher Negra, an organization aimed at combating racism and sexism in Brazil. In 2022, she was named “Literary Personality of the Year” by the Jabuti Prize.
At the end of the speech, the author called on the audience: “For a Brazil that is able to recognize, celebrate and learn from all its voices – especially those that have been silenced for too long. For us, it is a time of rebellion, but there is also an urgent need to re-enchant the world. The possibility of a new future depends on it. May we rise to these challenges.”