Among identities, claims and resignifications: Memories of the Afro-Brazilian protagonism in the Olympic Sport by Soraia André

Abstract

This research investigates and analyzes the trajectory of the Afro-Brazilian Olympic athlete Soraia André , identifying through her memories, narratives and reflections the way in which she constructed and re-signified her identities during her process of insertion, participation and career transition in the sport. The theoretical and methodological bases of this analysis are inscribed in the field of postcolonial and Afrocentric thinking, through which a reflection and writing centred on the protagonism and agency undertaken by the person in focus is proposed. The biographical narrative comprises the main component of this approach that, within its limits, allows to observe the intersectionalities of gender, race and class that structure the relations of power and counterpower and how the cultural identities are articulated. Within this process stands out the athlete Soraia André, whose narrative retrieves in rich detail the complex paths taken by black women in Brazil to reach the Olympic condition and make sport their platform of emancipation.