Lilian Feitosa
Associate Professor of Portuguese, General Faculty
As a Brazilian, I am passionate about my country and have been teaching Portuguese at UVA for 13 years. In my original field of comparative literature, I have explored various areas related to Brazil, conducting extensive research on Brazilian women writers translated into English, investigating the relationship of Brazilian popular music to the concept of nation (I taught two classes about that at UVA!). However, my most enduring interest has been examining the historical consequences of the Atlantic Slave Trade. My first class in graduate school was "Slavery in Brazil" and as a doctoral candidate I published two papers on Afro-Brazilian children's books. In 2021 I applied to teach a class for first year students about the history of UVA, the enslaved laborers who built it, and the current relationship with the Descendants of Enslaved Communities (DEC). This has been a very enriching experience that I am eager to share with my Engagements class, which is part of the Race, Place, and Equity cohort. Understanding how past histories shape our present and ethically engaging with members of the local DEC can help us be better members of the UVA community.