Identidade, beleza negra e racialização: nas mechas da trajetória de vida de Marly Paixão

Abstract

This dissertation explores the oral life history of Marly Paixão, the founder of the first salon in Manaus specialized in Afro braids. Throughout her journey, the research seeks to address, in an intersectional manner, the construction of Black identity and its deep connection with aesthetics. In a context where the presence of Black people is historically erased in Amazonas, Marly presents a narrative that challenges the dominant discourse, revealing that, for Black women, caring for one’s appearance goes far beyond mere beautification. Here, aesthetics is understood as a language that reflects the multiple, intertwined oppressions faced by these women and plays a crucial role in ethnic-racial identity formation. Drawing from Marly’s life story, the work delves into the complex interactions of gender, race, and class in the Brazilian context, illustrating how, through memory, Marly "braids" not only her own story but also the stories of many other Black women who resist the systematic erasure of Black men and women in the city of Manaus.