Escura demais para ser branca, clara demais para ser preta: o processo de reconhecimento da negritude de uma atriz em formação

Abstract

This work presents an autobiographical and academic account of the process of identity construction and the recognition of one's own Blackness as a light-skinned Black woman. The author traces her journey from childhood—marked by her experiences in private schools and artistic activities—to her graduation from the Theater Degree program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The study examines the impact of racial structures, colorism, and whiteness on her lived experience, and reflects on how theater and knowledge rooted in African and Afro-Brazilian traditions were fundamental in her process of self-identification. Through pedagogical experiences, performances, theatrical productions, and engagement with thinkers such as Grada Kilomba, Abdias do Nascimento, and Conceição Evaristo, the author deepens her understanding of the role of the Black body in the theatrical scene and in society. The text, organized into three Scenes, explores, in a sensitive and critical manner, the intersection of art, identity, memory, and resistance.