´PORTUGUES PORTUGUês

português

Abstract

The present article proposes to conduct a narrative analysis of the life experiences of three Brazilian Black women—a coconut breaker, a quilombola (member of a maroon community), and an urban resident—in different social contexts. The objective is to understand how they constructed their identities and how the intertwining of gender, race, and class occurred in their trajectories. From an intersectional feminist perspective, the study utilizes semi-structured interviews focused on themes such as tradition, challenges in their personal histories, invisibility, and future aspirations. The methodology employs Critical Discourse Analysis to unveil power relations, the underlying meanings in the discourses, and the contribution of language in constructing the social reality of the interviewees. The analysis of the narratives demonstrates the importance of ancestry, community, family, and political struggle in the construction of identity and resistance of Black women, who reaffirm their existence in a society marked by discrimination. The conclusion reveals the urgency of understanding the discussed archetypes—"black mother," "domestic worker," and "mulatta"—for the formulation of equitable public policies that effectively combat structural racism and sexism rooted in the social fabric.