Honor me in life, so that later I can just rest!

We are entering the month of “black fatigue“: in November, black individuals are remembered to give numerous lectures, speeches, and consultations, which are sometimes not even paid – even though the institution could afford it. As if that weren’t enough, we still have to endure numerous comments like “we are all human,” “month of human consciousness,” and any other fallacious argument, which sometimes the speaker doesn’t even believe but says to justify – based on the myth of racial democracy – the false idea that there is no need to talk about race in Brazil.

In another text I wrote for the blog, I talked about how months with themes focusing on marginalized groups are exhausting for these groups but are still vital to bring attention to issues that, at times, throughout the rest of the year, are erased and/or forgotten. Against the backdrop of the fatigue and black weariness that this period causes us, I will take advantage of poetic freedom and this space to honor to inspiring black individuals in Internet Governance (IG) in Brazil, whom I am fortunate to have as inspiration, reference, and have even had a chat with during IG coffee breaks. So, if you were expecting a long reflection in this text on how technological racism can affect black people, I can tell you that you won’t find that here. But you will find many people who are authorities on the subject.

Here, I just want to make something I’ve been saying a lot out there count: “honor me in life, because after my death, I just want to rest.” So, let’s pay tribute to these incredible black individuals in the IG scene in Brazil.

Walking the paths of my ancestors

In this year’s Black Consciousness Month, I decided to use my time to honor and thank black people who have been in the field of Internet Governance in Brazil longer time than I have. I also want to take this opportunity to introduce my reference to you. Beyond this space being a place of affection, it is also resistance – always remember that, dear reader – resistance because, during the 2nd Highlights in Internet Governance in Brazil Award, out of the 18 honored people, only one was black.

During the tributes, I deeply questioned: where were the black people? While having one of the corridor conversations during FIB13 – the event where these tributes took place – I heard an argument that the low representation of black and female awardees could be attributed to the limited access of these individuals to a theme that, for years, was restricted to white and male individuals.

Although I listened and agreed with part of the premise, it, in my view, did not justify this minimal black representation in the award. I ground myself in understanding this whitening of the award in the concept of “epistemicide” worked on by Sueli Carneiro,  realizing that these absences are actually a culmination of the historical difficulties that black people had – and still have – in navigating technology spaces, as well as a present erasure of the work of black individuals that has become a reference in Brazil.

From this place of unease, I then present to you the individuals who, for me, are inspirations, teach me, and motivate me to occupy and contest spaces in Internet Governance. Oh, I find it crucial to emphasize that, unfortunately, I have space and time limitations for this text, so I won’t be able to include everyone here. But I extend an invitation for you to suggest other names for the next text.

Let the drums roll…

To start, it could be no one less than him, who was one of the first people I met in Internet Governance (GI), even without knowing who he was, and who loves to tell the embarrassing story I went through when I first met him:

Paulo Rená da Silva Santarém, Co-Executive Director of Aqualtunelab, Ph.D. candidate in Law at the University of Brasília, researcher at the Institute of Reference on Internet and Society – IRIS, and as I was told the first time I found out who he was, ‘nothing more, nothing less than one of the fathers of the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet.’ Rená, as I am accustomed to calling him, is a reference for me when it comes to simplifying the debate into a language that everyone can understand. His dissertation and his book ‘O direito achado na rede: a emergência do acesso à Internet como direito fundamental no Brasil’ are, without a doubt, an incredible and highly updated reference to think about the contemporary manifestations of law in various spaces.

Continuing my list, let me introduce her, whom I baptized as “nortista,” just because of her energy – and I still can’t believe she’s not actually from the Northern region:

Bianca Kremer, professor and researcher in Law and Technology, Ph.D. in Law from PUC-RIO. Moreover, she is one of the leading figures in the field of data protection, artificial intelligence, and their intersections with race. With her doctoral thesis on ‘DIREITO E TECNOLOGIA EM PERSPECTIVA AMEFRICANA: Autonomia, algoritmos e vieses raciais‘ (Law and Technology in an Amefrican Perspective: Autonomy, algorithms, and racial biases), Bianca particularly leads us to reflect on the need to see the products of new technologies, especially AI, as a result of the racial inequalities that still afflict the black population. Any advancement in racial discourse through technology needs to involve a repositioning of the role of law beyond the neutrality asserted, especially by the myth of racial democracy and technological exemption. So, if you are not yet familiar with Bianca Kremer’s work, I recommend getting to know a bit more about this incredible woman.

As the saying goes, ‘A prophet is not recognized in his own land.’ I don’t know about prophets, but these three who follow certainly teach and inspire me daily at IRIS.

Fernanda Rodrigues, research coordinator and researcher at IRIS, Ph.D. candidate in Law at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, where she researches law, technosciences, and interdisciplinarity. Fernanda has conducted research on Artificial Intelligence, Platform Regulation, and the intersection of technology with race. She recently participated in a public hearing at the Internal Temporary Commission on Artificial Intelligence of the Brazilian Federal Senate, contributing to the debate on the Regulatory Framework for AI in Brazil.

Rafaela Ferreira, project leader and researcher at IRIS, graduated in Law from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Rafaela has conducted research, especially on due process in content moderation, data protection, and neurorights. On the latter topic, I recommend her latest text for IRIS, about the protagonism of Latin America in the Recognition of Neurorights. It serves as both a resource to understand this interdisciplinary field that is still new to many people and to provide important insights into the risks that the development of technologies exploring neural fields may present.

Glenda Dantas, master’s student in Communication and Contemporary Cultures at the Faculty of Communication (Facom) of UFBA, journalist from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), co-founder of Conexão Malunga, and researcher at IRIS on the Digital Inclusion project. Glenda has worked on digital inclusion, especially for vulnerable groups, such as black women.

I swear, the IRIS acknowledgments are over now. The idea wasn’t to make it an “IRIS award,” but what can I do when I only work with incredible people? Continuing with my next awardees, let me introduce her, who is also a reference in the field of digital inclusion, especially from an Amazonian perspective:

Thiane Neves Barros, Ph.D. student in Communication and Contemporary Culture at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), master in Communication Sciences from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), researcher, and educator with experience in Amazon, Cyberactivism, Black Feminism, and Digital Communication (Governance, Infrastructure, Appropriation, Digital Care). Thica, as she is known, represents the energy of black women from the North in the spaces she occupies, discussing territory, body, and technology from a conception that everything is cyclical and interconnected. She believes that ancestral wisdom has much to teach us in how we interact with the internet and new technologies. She is one of the co-organizers of the book: Griots e Tecnologias Digitais.

And in the realm of cybersecurity, I bring a heavyweight trio that represents an incredible accumulation of knowledge and has been particularly focused on the theme of the use of cameras in public security.

Pablo Nunes, Ph.D. in Political Science from the Institute of Social and Political Studies (Iesp-Uerj), master in Social Sciences from Uerj, and coordinator of the Center for Studies on Security and Citizenship (CESeC). He is part of the ‘O Panóptico’ project, which has studied how new technologies have affected public security and social dynamics, especially in peripheral areas. I highly recommend his interview with Nexo on algorithmic racism and public security.

Thalita Lima, PhD Candidate and master in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. She is the research coordinator for the Panóptico project at the Center for Studies on Security and Citizenship (CESeC) and a researcher in the DATAS research group – Data, Technocontrol, Authority, and Subjectivity Network at PUC-Rio. Among Thalita’s various works, I would like to recommend the research report ‘Das planícies ao planalto: como Goiás influenciou a expansão do reconhecimento facial na segurança pública brasileira,’ where the project provides reflections and data that demonstrate that cities in the interior of Goiás, lacking the minimum public structure, are used as a political argument for the promotion of facial recognition use in Brazilian public security.

Ana Gabriela Ferreira, Ph.D. student at PUC/RS, master in Public Law from the Federal University of Bahia, researcher in the field of human rights and criminal law, university professor. Ana Gabriela has conducted research on public security and cybersecurity, especially from a racialized perspective, leading to rich debates. You can check out a recent interview she gave to U.A.I Understanding Artificial Intelligence at the Institute of Advanced Studies at USP, which is definitely worth a look.

And now, moving away from the crowd that focuses on analyzing technology and its effects on people, I want to conclude this list with her, who focuses on including more black individuals in the technical field of technology:

Andreza Rocha, founder and Executive Director of AfrOya Tech Hub, a specialist in Curation and Engagement Experiences for technology teams with a focus on Diversity and Inclusion. She is an independent researcher in Internet Governance with the theme of Algorithmic Discrimination in the Job Market. Andreza was recognized by LinkedIn as Top Voice in Artificial Intelligence 2023 – a well-deserved recognition, as she was the one who gave me the least trouble finding information about her. She annually organizes the AfrOya Tech Conference, engaging various people in the technical and internet governance fields. Lastly, it’s important to highlight the research ‘WHO WE ARE: Map of Black Talent in Technology,‘ developed by the Hub, which aims to increase black representation in technology.

Elevate today the people who shape Black consciousness in Brazil…

Usually, conclusions have a planned and detailed structure, revisiting everything that has been said and wrapping up the arguments. However, since I’ve broken the logic of constructing a perfect narrative in this text and turned it into the Black Excellence Awards of Internet Governance (GI), I want to begin by expressing deep gratitude to each person mentioned in this text. You inspire me, embrace me, teach me, and reshape the path of Internet Governance in Brazil for me daily, and only a Black body truly knows how challenging that is.

In the last event I attended, I heard the following phrase: ‘you would be a perfect totem for Internet Governance in Brazil.’ Looking at each and every one of you, I am sure that I could never be a totem. Those who came before me have already sufficiently nourished my paths for me to understand my commitment to doing science about technology in Brazil, especially in the Amazon region. Thank you!

And to the other Black individuals in the GI who accompany me on this journey, who strengthen me, who also teach and inspire me but are not in this text, I haven’t forgotten you. The text started with almost 30 names, and I had to cut it down to the final version. You are also incredible and contribute daily to the internet and the technology that I dream of for the future. A technology that is not in service of whiteness but is committed to racial equity, emancipation, and the empowerment of our communities. Gratitude!

Now, I truly conclude the text by reinforcing the invitation for you to get to know the people and the works mentioned and to stay tuned for our IRIS Black Consciousness campaign.