For the first time, November 20th, National Zumbi dos Palmares and Black Consciousness Day, will be celebrated as a national holiday. The date marks black protagonism in the history of Brazil.
To mark this day, Radioagência Nacional presents the podcast “Science: black women set the tone”, in which it brings stories of incredible black women who contribute to national research in the most diverse areas of knowledge and still work in the fight for Human Rights and against racism.
In this first episode, Sônia Guimarães: A little nosy and her encyclopedia. We bring the story of the professor at the Technological Institute of Aeronautics, ITA in São José dos Campos. Sônia is the first black woman with a doctorate in physics.
First. Pioneer. Pathfinder. Path opener. These are some of the words most related, even today, to black women entering the world of exact sciences. Engineering, physics, chemistry, science, mathematics… all of this is still very much linked to men and white men.
“Because the exact ones have an owner: white and male. And they don’t like this invasion of women, threatening their position. So they do what they can to prevent women from getting where they want”, highlights Sônia.
The PhD joined ITA – the Technological Institute of Aeronautics, in 1993. Three years later, she was expelled from the Institution. However, she regains her right to be in the classroom and returns to ITA.
Sônia Guimarães, a researcher since she was little when she looked for answers in encyclopedias, is fighting to guarantee the right of girls, especially black girls, to dream and achieve. She works and is a reference in projects such as Cientistas do Alto Sertão, Futuras Cientistas, Investiga Menina and Pesquisa para Elas. He also presides over the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commission of the Brazilian Physics Society and is part of the Brazilian Association of Black Researchers.
Click herethen press the “play” button and listen to the episode.
