As an organization led by people of color, we at ABADA-Capoeira Bronx (ACBX) stand in solidarity and ongoing support with our black and brown brothers and sisters. The murder of George Floyd and deaths of countless people of color dating back hundreds of years across North and South America must not be in vain. ACBX condemns these unrelenting attacks on black and brown people and the systemic injustice that many people in our community face every day. Our unique art form was created by enslaved people seeking to express their unrelenting humanity in the face of violence and oppression. The historical context has perhaps shifted but our essential struggle for equality and humanity continues to this day. This is something we have always had very present in our work. We maintain our commitment to our sustained practice of Capoeira as a medium to develop youth, build community, and inspire all people to reach their full potential. We reiterate our commitment to draw from the peaceful principles and values rooted in the practice of Capoeira to support our community. We will continue to celebrate Afro-Brazilian arts as a means to nurture empathy, tolerance, and social-awareness in each of our students. Recently our work has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we continue to share our art form digitally, and remain in touch with our community of capoeiristas. We continue to share our experiences, strengthen our spirits and raise our conscience in unison in both words and actions. The art of Capoeira was born out of the need to fight for freedom and justice. Capoeira is our ongoing effort for peace, our shared resilience and our productive resistance. The first enslaved Africans to arrive in Brazil date back to the early 1500s. Capoeira is our 500-year old fight for justice, freedom, and equality. From enslaved Africans in Brazil, to the Bronx, to the world, “A Luta Continua” (the fight continues). In solidarity, Jennifer “Franjinha” Sanchez & Marcelo “Coco” Fagundes and the ABADA-Capoeira Bronx family |