Samba schools honor Black Brazilian female authors during Rio Carnival

At Rio's 2026 Carnival, Imperio Serrano and Unidos da Tijuca honored authors Conceição Evaristo and Carolina Maria de Jesus in their parades; organizers called the presentations an act of historical reparation.

Samba and literature shared a stage at Rio de Janeiro's Carnival this year as two samba schools presented parades honoring Black Brazilian female authors. Imperio Serrano featured 79-year-old Conceição Evaristo atop a float at the Sambodrome. Unidos da Tijuca dedicated its parade to the late Carolina Maria de Jesus and also included Evaristo in its presentation. Organizers described the displays as an act of historical reparation and the floats prominently displayed books and other literary imagery. Key details: - Imperio Serrano placed writer Conceição Evaristo atop a float during its Sambodrome parade. - Unidos da Tijuca dedicated its parade to Carolina Maria de Jesus and ran a song about her during the procession. - Floats and costumes included books of various shapes, sizes and colors as central motifs. - A leaflet presenting the parades described them as "an act of historical reparation" and noted that de Jesus died poor and forgotten in 1977. - De Jesus's diary has sold more than a million copies since its 1960 publication, according to a website run by Instituto Moreira Salles. - The article notes ongoing inequalities: Black women in Brazil are more likely than white women to be poor, illiterate or to face hunger and are at greater risk of gender-based violence. Summary: The parades placed Black Brazilian women writers on a prominent public stage, linking Carnival's large audiences to literary recognition and historical context. Undetermined at this time.