The Stream

#MariellePresente: Will the killing of a black female politician spur change in Brazil?

Rio de Janeiro Councilwoman Marielle Franco fought for minorities and spoke out against state violence.

What kind of legacy does Brazilian human rights activist and politician Marielle Franco leave? The 38-year-old Rio de Janeiro city councilor and her driver were gunned down last week in what officials believe to be a targeted killing. Franco – a vocal feminist, lesbian and black Brazilian born in a favela – was a rising political voice for marginalised communities and people affected by poverty and violence. We’ll discuss some of the issues she championed on Wednesday’s show at 1930GMT.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:

Christen Smith @profsassy
Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies & Anthropology, University of Texas-Austin

Cecília Olliveira @Cecillia
Contributing Editor, The Intercept Brasil

Djamila Ribeiro
Activist

Read more:

The assassination of human rights activist Marielle Franco was a huge loss for Brazil — and the world – The Intercept
A black female politician was gunned down in Rio. Now she’s a global symbol. – Washington Post