Benedita da Silva, the first Black woman elected senator in Brazil's history and that country's former Minister of Social Affairs, was in Atlanta February 17-25, 2005 to raise support and awareness for establishing the headquarters of the Benedita da Silva Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to develop and fund projects related to health, housing, education and the economic and human rights of Brazil's Afro
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Mayor Shirley Franklin and Benedita da Silva, first black woman elected Senator in Brazil’s History. |
-Brazilian majority population, including women, street children and the poor.
Ms. da Silva has chosen Atlanta as the site for the headquarters because of her admiration for the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the city's large number of African-American politicians, businesspeople and educators. It is the city where she feels "most at home" outside of Brazil.
During her visit, Ms. da Silva met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, high-level political and religious leaders as well as representatives of major corporations and the Brazilian business community in Atlanta.
Prior to her current sabbatical, Benedita da Silva, 62, served in public office in Brazil for 15 years, beginning as a representative to the Rio de Janeiro City Council. After having worked as a street vendor, janitor, servant and nurse's aid, she went back to finish high school in her early 40s and then earned a college degree in social work in a coun
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| Wilma Kruger, Chair, Atlanta-Rio de Janeiro Sister City Committee, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Benedita da Silva, first black woman elected Senator in Brazil, Claire McLeveighn, Director of Office of External Affairs and International Relations. |
try where 48% of black and mixed race women are illiterate. As a quilombo (descendent of slaves), Ms. da Silva grew up in poverty, became a social activist at 16, was the first black woman elected to the Brazilian Congress in 1984 and in some circles is referred to as a future candidate for Brazil's presidency.