Text by Helena Meireles, from Preto No Metal
The initial idea for writing this text was to recommend some music, some project… some positive recommendation. But, given the situation of the last few days, we had to change course and write something rather… tense.
Shortly after the beginning of March, both Preto no Metal and Afroheadbanger (a page run by one of the members of Preto) received a complaint about racism at a metal festival in Santa Catarina. A woman, the victim, reported a white man who, after getting into fights and arguments (including an attempted assault with a box cutter), insulted her with various names; not only that, he ended the "little show" by telling the victim to "go back to the slave quarters, because she is a 'disgusting black woman'". It is unnecessary to elaborate here on how heavy the content of this type of comment is, and how many horrible layers it possesses.
What is most shocking is knowing that this type of aggression, especially against Black women, is common. The absurdity continues to be normalized. Knowing that cultural spaces, including metal and extreme music festivals, are reflections of society, this situation would be no different there (and in many other spaces that host metal/extreme music events). There are increasingly frequent reports of Black women exposed to various types of violence, from verbal to physical abuse, and all are sustained by the same pillar: racism. Therefore, Black women are twice as vulnerable in these environments, being affected by both racism and sexism and/or misogyny.
There's no denying how alarming the negative situation is for Black women within the metal and extreme music scene. In fact, their absence from events is quite telling, precisely because of the various forms of violence they are aware they will suffer in that space. Furthermore, who will protect Black women from this violence? It is assumed that:
- If the victim does not respond (read: "react") to what is happening, it opens up a range of possibilities for this hatred to continue;
- If she responds, she still risks being labeled "aggressive," "wild," or "quarrelsome"; after all, that's how the world sees Black women.
Remember that conversation about white privilege that always comes up when the topic is racism? It's possible to use that privilege to confront racists, in whatever way is necessary. And it's a huge step when we talk about protecting Black women. Whether in the metal scene or not. Countless messages reach both Preto no Metal and Afroheadbanger from Black women commenting that they've abandoned events, concerts, and the like because of the blatant racism they suffer, in addition to the subtle hint of misogyny.
Imagine going out to have fun and having to deal with gratuitous hatred? Imagine having to deal with a disgruntled jerk telling you to "go back to the slave quarters," at a time that should be for relaxation and distraction? Imagine? Imagine… After all, who protects Black women?
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Link to the latest news about Preto no Metal in the media: G1 RS
