Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Region: United States, Canada
Founding: 2019
Founders/leadership: Flávia Barbosa; Ana Paula Barreto; Elis Clementino; Fernanda Dias; Marry Ferreira, founders
Kilomba Collective is the first collective of Black Brazilian immigrant women in the United States. It connects Black Brazilians with other Black women’s organizations in the U.S. and Latin America to strategize, advance human rights, and uplift Black women’s political activism.
Kilomba’s name refers to the Quilombos, self-sustaining revolutionary communities representing Black Brazilians’ liberation and resistance, memory, radical love, and affection. With that in mind, Kilomba Collective has been driven by its vision: connecting a multigenerational network of Black Brazilian women from different backgrounds, and centering the experiences of Black Brazilian women and girls in the U.S. and Canada.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, Kilomba supported their community of local and international organizers and activists focused on issues around maternal health, COVID-19, racism, police brutality, and more. During the pandemic, Kilomba launched two booklets in the Portuguese language with resources for immigrants impacted by COVID, in addition to supporting families through food baskets and online therapy.
With a community of more than 100 members of various ages, backgrounds, and professional experiences living across the U.S. and Canada, Kilomba remains committed to Black people from Latin America and the Caribbean.