Chica da Silva (person)

Chica da Silva [Chica da Silva [http://educacao.uol.com.br/biografias/ult1789u167.jhtm] ] , also incorrectly written as "Xica da Silva" (Francisca da Silva de Oliveira, c. 1732-1796) was a famous Brazilian slave. Her life has been a source of inspiration for many works in television, films, theater and literature. She is popularly known as "the slave who became a queen". [Para Conhecer Chica da Silva [http://www.revistadehistoria.com.br/v2/home/?go=detalhe&id=638] ]

Biography

Francisca da Silva de Oliveira was born in Serro, in the center of nowadays Brazilian state Minas Gerais, and lived mainly in Diamantina. She was the daughter of a Portuguese man, Antônio Caetano de Sá, with his black slave, Maria da Costa, probably from the Gulf of Guinea or Bahia. Her first master was the Sergeant Manuel Pires Sardinha, with whom she had two sons: Plácido Pires Sardinha and Simão Pires Sardinha, both studied at the University of Coimbra, in Portugal. Her second master was Priest Rolim (José da Silva Oliveira), who was forced to sell Chica to João Fernandes de Oliveira, a diamond mine owner and mining Governor of Arraial to Tijuco, one of the richest persons of Colonial Brazil.

Francisca and João soon started a romance and she was freed by him. Even though they were not officially married, the couple lived together for several years and had 13 kids: Francisca de Paula (1755); João Fernandes (1756); Rita (1757); Joaquim (1759); Antonio Caetano (1761); Ana (1762); Helena (1763); Luiza (1764); Antônia (1765); Maria (1766); Quitéria Rita (1767); Mariana (1769); José Agostinho Fernandes (1770).

Their relationship was a scandal to the Brazilian society. Chica da Silva, a mulatto former slave, had become one of the richest and most powerful women in Colonial Brazil. The local community has banned the entry of Chica in a church (in Brazil, people of African descent could not attend some churches reserved only for whites). To show the locals Chica's power, João Fernandes built a church attended just by herself.

In 1770, João Fernandes had to return to Portugal and took along with him the 4 sons he had with Chica, who received noble titles of the Portuguese Court. Their daughters remained with Chica in Brazil and were sent to the Convent of Macaúbas, one of the best ones at that time. Even after the departure of João, Chica remained with her prestige. She was a member of the "São Francisco do Carmo" Brotherhood (exclusive to white people), "Mercês" Brotherhood (exclusive to mulattoes) and of "Rosário" Brotherhood (exclusive to Africans).

Chica da Silva died in 1796. She was buried at the Church of São Francisco de Assis, a privilege reserved only for white rich people.

The myth

In the past, Chica was used as a symbol of the "racial democracy" in Brazil. Currently, however, scholars report that, as many other African Brazilian slaves of that time, she used miscegenation as a way to achieve a higher social status. Historian Júnia Ferreira Furtado reports that concubinage and marriage between white male and black female in colonial Brazilian society was a way found by the slaves to change their social position and to escape race stigma:

Furtado reports that Chica attended brotherhoods exclusive to white people, as a way to fit in the white society. Contrary to what was propagated, she also had slaves and it was only found one reference that she has granted freedom to a slave. The historian compared the main difference between the blacks in Brazil and in the United States. While in America the blacks had a unified movement, in Brazil they tried to integrate themselves in the main society. Mixed-race people saw that "whitening" themselves was a way to escape from their slave past. She says that the exclusion of blacks in Brazilian society for a long time reduced for many of them their self-esteem.

Works

*Xica da Silva (movie): a film released in 1976, by Cacá Diegues, starring Zezé Motta as Chica da Silva. [Xica da Silva e a luta simbólica contra a ditadura [http://www.oolhodahistoria.ufba.br/04rossin.html] ]
*Xica da Silva (soap-opera): a telenovela released in 1996, written by Walcyr Carrasco and directed by Walter Avancini. It has been successful in several countries around the world. Starring as Xica da Silva, the actress Taís Araújo was the first black Brazilian to be the protagonist of a soap-opera. She is still the only black actress to be the protagonist of a telenovela on Brazilian TV History. [Entrevista: Taís Araújo é novo referencial na telinha [http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Epoca/0,6993,EPT691340-1661-3,00.html] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.bairrodocatete.com.br/Xicadasilva1.html Xica da Silva]

* [http://www.diamantina.com.br/imprime_noticia.cfm?codigo=1402 Filha da Dúvida, Jornal O Estado de Minas]

Further reading

*Cheney, Glenn Alan, "Journey on the Estrada Real: Encounters in the Mountains of Brazil," (Xicago: Academy Xicago, 2004) ISBN 0-89733-530-9

*Ferreira Furtado, Júnia . Chica da Silva e o contratador de diamantes: o outro lado do mito," (São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2003).