2007 October

Bahia Street News

Dear All,

I am watching the sun peek out between the clouds as I write this and think of all the other times I have written to you. Years have passed, the seasons come and gone, and still this connection continues. I still feel as though I am writing to you each individually, and it means a lot.

I think this particularly now because I have finally finished the book that I have been writing about Bahia Street (I have been working on this for over four years now!). The book is about the people who inspired and taught me in Bahia, and about the community of you here and in other parts of the world who have accompanied Rita and me on this journey. I have rewritten this book in its entirety at least four times, but now, with the help of many people, it is finished at last. The publisher tells us that it will be out in November! I can hardly believe it. To all of you who have supported Bahia Street and who have seen it grow, our struggles and successes— I thank you. This book is about all of us. The title of the book is Dance Lest We All Fall Down, a reflection of a lesson my friends from the favelas of Bahia taught me, that strength comes with the dance we must all do if we are to survive, that we must find our joy. Joy makes us strong, the dance of joy comes through understanding how we can give to others, and that all of us have something to give.

The book will be in paperback to make it more affordable, and we will be letting you know in November when we actually have the first copy in our hot little hands. In the meanwhile, we are taking pre-orders for books: simply email us at info@bahiastreet.org with your name and the number of books that you would like (you may pay once they arrive.). Each book will cost roughly $20 (in the U.S.) with shipping and handling. Outside of the U.S., the book is best available on-line with the publisher in November.

I have read (in translation) the entire manuscript to Rita, and she is as excited as I am. This book starts a conversation, and I can’t wait to hear from you. So do please let me know thoughts that the book sparks in you, what paths it opens, and where it takes you.

Things at Bahia Street in Salvador are going very well. The capoeira program has been a huge success, and many girls are now doing cartwheels, handstands, and flips. They love it. What they are doing is also exciting because, in Bahia, women do not often do this kind of strong exercise that takes a certain risk and confidence. In Bahia Street, we are seeing an entire group of girls all grow in their capoeira skill together. It will be interesting to see how they develop in this art as the years go by.

Several girls are studying for their eighth grade exam to enter high school, and two girls, Luana and Flavia, who started first grade this year completely illiterate with no study skills or even a concept of how to behave in a classroom situation, have done more than just learn to read and write in these short months: they are both racing to be top of their class. Again it will be interesting to see how they both do over the years.

Another girl, Jessica, has always shown an interest in music, and during a capoeira class last year, a visitor introduced her to the violin. She took to it immediately, showing surprising talent, had this person began giving her lessons. Her skill on the instrument grew much faster than anyone could have imagined. Now, she has just taken a test on the violin and been admitted to a violin course at the Teatro de Castro Alves, the principle music theater in Salvador. An incredible achievement on her part. She will continue to study at Bahia Street, of course, so we will get to see what happens as she studies with some of the best musicians in the area.

Being part of these girls’ often astonishing achievements and their trials is one of the parts of Bahia Street that is so exciting. Because we stay with the girls for so long, accompany them through their years at Bahia Street and continue to give them support as they enter university, we get to see the effects of the program and the girls’ increasing engagement with what the world has to offer. This is a privilege, and I continue to be amazed at what these girls do.

From the States, we successfully partnered this summer with the
University of Washington Department of Chemistry’s Dr. Richard Gammon to bring twenty-two students to Bahia as a part of a course to study climate change, inequality, and the society of Brazil. I look forward to co-teaching a class next spring geared toward students who are the first people in their families to attend university or who are recent immigrants, to study about inequality, social change, and race, class, and gender in Brazil. The course, a partnership between Bahia Street, the Office of Minority Affairs and the UW Jackson School, will spend four weeks in Seattle at the University of Washington and six weeks in Brazil.

These programs are possible in part because of our new building that gives space for us to teach classes while the students are not in class. It represents our expanded mission to teach girls in Bahia that allows them equal opportunities and to teach people here about the realities of inequality as it exists in Brazil. One way that we fulfill the second part of this mission is through our study trips. I greatly enjoyed our June 2007 trip, with a special thanks to Aleixo Dejneka for joining me in leading this group. Our 5th annual study trip will take place May 23-June 3, 2008, and we have another exciting and thought-provoking tour planned. Join us! Bahia Street is a true partnership that provides space for all of us to learn.

My very best to you all, and I will let you know when the book is out!

Abraços,
Margaret