rio de janeiro
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‘Genocide of Black People’: The Killing of Afro-Brazilians by Police Is an Injustice Marielle Franco Was Fighting to End
They walked 2.5 miles to the site of her assassination, all the while dancing, chanting and crying. On that hot and muggy night on April 14 in Rio de Janeiro, more than 3,000 people gathered at the center of Rio to demand police action in the murder of Afro-Brazilian politician Marielle Franco and to mark…
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Ava DuVernay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Janelle Monáe and More Join Call for Justice for Slain Afro-Brazilian Activist
More than two weeks after the assassination of Marielle Franco, an Afro-Brazilian politician who had staunchly advocated against police violence, grim details have emerged around her death. As Kiratiana Freelon reported for The Root, the 38-year-old Franco was gunned down in her car by armed men in Rio de Janeiro. She was shot a total…
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A Brazilian Gang Kidnapped Nurses so They Could Deliver Vaccinations to Poor Favela Residents
Thomaz Vieira Gomes has been described as one of the “most notorious criminals” in Rio de Janeiro by the International Business Times, but his latest move has some calling him a modern-day Robin Hood. According to various reports, Gomes kidnapped two nurses from a clinic in Rio late last month to take them to one…
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Say Goodbye to Rio, Where Black Women's Bodies Were Celebrated
Simone Biles is known for her body: its power, its capabilities and the heights to which it propels her. I am completely mesmerized by it. I’m not sure if it’s the beauty of her black body prancing; her short, muscular legs seemingly defying physics; or the ease with which she does it all—with a confident,…
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Michael Phelps' Gold Medals Can't Outshine Usain Bolt's Black Brilliance
Michael Phelps is an amazing athlete. The most-awarded Olympian of all time, he has collected an incredible amount of hardware for his display case: 23 gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals are nothing to scoff at. He’s an icon, an ambassador for his sport and, to quote Jay Z, not just a…
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5 Hot Takes From the Olympics’ Opening Ceremonies
Like, whoa. As other athletes in the Parade of Nations predictably wore dockers and sports blazers, Pita Nikolas Taufatofua from the island nation of Tonga came out bare-chested, slathered in oil and adorned in a ta’ovala, a traditional Tongan mat. The 32-year-old will compete in taekwondo for his country, but he won the gold for the…
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Brutal Crackdowns, Hidden Poverty: How Preparations for the Rio Olympics Hurt Afro-Brazilians
In the next few weeks, Aug. 5-21, the city of Rio de Janeiro is going to host the 31st Olympic Games. Like a mother preparing her home for 500,000 tourists, Rio has swept the city’s poverty under the rug by increasing police and army presence in favelas. As a result, part of the local population…
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#ReesesRoadtoRio: Brittney Reese Sets Record With US Olympic Trials Long Jump Win
Not only did Brittney Reese secure her spot on Team USA during this weekend’s Olympic trials, but she also set an Olympic-trials long jump record. With a jump of 23 feet, 11 3/4 inches Saturday at the U.S. Olympic track-and-field trials, Reese won her seventh national outdoor title and third trip to the Olympics. And with that jump,…