Joyce da Silva Fernandes (born May 13, 1985),[1] also known as Preta Rara, is an Afro-Brazilian rapper, activist, and television host.[2][3] A former maid,[4] her work in internet activism against the subordination of domestic workers led to a book that recorded first-person accounts of abuse.[3] This work also extends to racial discrimination and sizeism.[5]
Joyce Fernandes | |
|---|---|
 Fernandes at the 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encuentros in 2018 | |
| Born | Joyce da Silva Fernandes May 13, 1985 |
| Occupations |
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| Employer | TV Globo |
Early life and education
editFernandes was born in 1985 to Maria Helena da Silva Fernandes, a former maid, and a father who works as a postman, and is the eldest of two sisters and an adopted brother.[6] She grew up in Santos, São Paulo.
Working as a maid, she obtained a degree in history in 2012, and found work as a high school history teacher.[3]
Music career
editIn 2005, Fernandes adopted the stage name Preta Rara when she co-founded Tarja Preta, one of the first female rap groups in Santos. Before dissolving in October 2013, the group played several shows nationwide and won several awards in São Paulo. In March 2015, she released her debut solo album Audácia,[7] which addressed racism and the subordination of black women in Brazil.[8]
Activism
editIn June 2016, Fernandes began documenting anecdotes of abuse from her work as a maid on Facebook. Under the hashtag #I’mAMaid, her post prompted many others to respond.[9] Her Facebook page "Eu Empregada Doméstica" rapidly gained more than 100,000 followers.[10] In 2019, Fernandes published her book Empregada Doméstica, which accounted other maids' stories,[11] including her mothers'.[3]
In 2020, she became a host on the Talk Five program on the TV Globo television network.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Preta-Rara Oficial". SoundCloud. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "Brazil rapper voices Latin housemaids' suffering". Al-Ahram. 2016-08-04. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ a b c d Londoño, Ernesto (2021-05-18). "Preta Rara: The Brazilian Maid-Turned-Star Who's Taking on Racism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ Griffin, Jo (2020-05-05). "'For the lives of our mothers': Covid-19 sparks fight for maids' rights in Brazil". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Heróis Possíveis para Causas Impossíveis: Preta Rara". Globo TV (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Frozza, Fernanda (2018-11-20). "'Já me disseram que eu estava predestinada a ser empregada doméstica', diz Preta Rara". Glamour (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Fonseca, Eder (2018-07-27). "A filosofia de vida da rapper Preta-Rara". Panorama Mercantil. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Massuela, Amanda (2017-07-11). "Rapper e arte-educadora, Preta Rara faz do desconforto seu motor criativo". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ McKynzie, Amber (2020-10-27). "Former Maid Creates Hashtag to Help Maids Share Stories of Racist Work Conditions". Essence. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "'I am housemaid, hear me roar'". BBC News. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Vigna, Anne (2019-12-13). "Preta-Rara, la porte-voix des domestiques au Brésil". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Ferraz, Gabrielly (2020-11-17). "Preta Rara estreia como apresentadora no 'Talk Five', programa da TV Globo". Mundo Negro (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-17.