Maternidade comunitária negra: uma análise do trabalho comunitário de mulheres negras em bairros periféricos de Salvador/BA

Abstract

This study investigates community motherhood through the experiences of five Black women who live and politically engage in peripheral communities of Salvador. Community motherhood, the central focus of the research, highlights the active role of Black women who establish supportive and familial bonds with vulnerable members of their communities. This concept is intrinsically linked to political activism. These women are dedicated to promoting improvements in quality of life and access to dignified housing, healthcare, education, and security. Community motherhood encompasses the intersection of motherhood, community work, and activism, being a fluid and dynamic category that reflects certain aspects of matriarchal leadership in Salvador. Originating in the 1970s and 1980s, this practice emerged from Black feminism in the United States as a critique of the universalist view of motherhood proposed by white thinkers. Expanding the conception of motherhood as a social construct, it goes beyond traditional definitions based on biological and legal aspects. Community and activist motherhood challenge conventional boundaries between public, private, and political spheres. This study seeks to understand how gender, race, and class inequalities influence the lives of Black women, and the social strategies they implement to meet the community's needs, considering the diversity of contexts. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews are employed to analyze this phenomenon in Salvador. The research results reveal that community mothers in Salvador not only establish supportive and familial bonds with the community, but also significantly expand the concept of motherhood beyond biological ties. The practice of sharing care, as opposed to capitalist and neoliberal logic, not only underscores the importance of solidarity and collectivity but also offers a valuable and effective alternative to individualistic dynamics, thus promoting a more inclusive and sustainable model of care and support within communities.