2009 August

Bahia Street Milestone: Rita dedicates Room to Bahia Street Co-Founder Margaret Willson

In May 2009, Bahia Street Center director Rita Conceição dedicated a room in the Bahia Street Center to her partner in co-founding Bahia Street, Dr. Margaret Willson. Rita worked for months to have the capoeira room in the Center completed by the time of Margaret’s visit and then surprised Margaret during a capoeira performance given by Bahia Street girls for this year’s study trip participants.

In a moving presentation, Rita told the story of how she and Margaret met playing capoeira in Salvador over fifteen years ago. In front of the entire Bahia Street community—students, caregivers and faculty—Rita recognized Margaret’s important role in making Bahia Street a reality through honoring their meeting in this dedication of the Center’s capoeira room. Acknowledging that neither of them had been training capoeira for years, Rita then invited Margaret into the capoeira roda (circle) where they slowly began to play. Study trip leader Melanie Wyffels described the powerful energy in the room that day, which intensified during this roda. “You could feel the love and fierceness connecting their energy.”

“It was particularly meaningful to me to be celebrated in this way in front of Rita’s community—the Bahia Street community in Salvador,” Margaret later reflected. “And the fact that key members of the Bahia Street Trust were there made it all the more special.” The Seattle Bahia Street community celebrated Rita’s role in co-founding Bahia Street during our 10th anniversary celebration that took place in Seattle in 2006.

Bahia Street bought the Bahia Street Center building in 2004 and immediately begun reconstruction of it. The building continues to gain floors as new funding is found. The building currently has five floors, including classrooms, a complete kitchen and dining room, a library, administrative offices, and now a capoeira room.

Girls playing capoeira in a presentation for study trip participants. Rita leading the presentation in “Sala Margaret Willson.” Rita dedicating the room to Margaret. Margaret and Rita playing capoeira.