Afro-Brazilians are currently in a pivotal sociocultural stage of critical awareness and development around racial and class identity, but there is potential for tangible change and action, says Saige Porter, winner of the 2024 Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship at the University of Michigan.

“But many communities who face inequality in major cities remain on the fringes of this movement,” Porter said. “I intend to continue my work with preta and parda Brazilian women and university researchers who focus on these issues to form a community-centered participatory approach grounded in their culture and praxis models.”