Interview by: Ana Cristina Pereira and Rita Santos
Edited by: Camilla Morello
Abstract by: Ana Cristina Pereira
Language editing by: Daniela S. Jorge Ayoub

Este podcast faz parte da série de 28 podcasts realizados sobre o caso português e italiano no âmbito do projeto de investigação de 36 meses (2018-2021)

(De)Othering: Desconstruindo o Risco e a Alteridade: guiões hegemónicos e contra-narrativas sobre migrantes/refugiados e “Outros internos” nas paisagens mediáticas em Portugal e na Europa, que pretendeu analisar criticamente representações mediáticas de migrantes, refugiados e “outros internos” em Portugal e na Europa, mapeando as suas interconexões com narrativas produzidas no domínio da segurança e no quadro da Guerra ao Terrorismo. O seu foco, uma análise de Portugal à luz de estudos de caso europeus profundamente afetados por ameaças terroristas (Reino Unido e França) e por fluxos migratórios/de refugiados (Itália e Alemanha), pretende investigar a construção de narrativas transnacionais de risco que permeiam a Europa independentemente da sua exposição “diferenciada”.

O projeto foi financiado pelo pelo FEDER – Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional através do COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) e por fundos nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Referencia Projeto: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029997)

----- English Version

This podcast is part of a series of  28 podcasts produced on the Portuguese and the Italian cases as outputs of the research undertaken in the 36 months project (2018-2021) (De)Othering: Deconstructing Risk and Otherness: hegemonic scripts and counter-narratives on migrants/refugees and ‘internal Others’ in Portuguese and European mediascapes that sets out to critically examine media representations on migrants, refugees and ‘internal Others’ in Portugal and across Europe while mapping out their interconnections with particular narratives in the field of security and within the War on Terror. Its focus – an analysis of Portugal in the light of other European cases affected by terrorist threats (United Kingdom and France) and by migrant/refugee flows (Italy and Germany) – aims to explore the construction of transnational narratives of risk pervading Europe regardless of the ‘differential’ exposure to them.

The project was funded by FEDER – European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE 2020 – Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), and by Portuguese funds through FCT in the framework of the project 029997 (Reference: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029997).

Lúcia Furtado is an antiracist activist and member of Femafro association. The activist discusses a path of gradual awakening to anti-racist and Black feminist issues. She emphasizes the importance, in 2016, of the first Black feminist meeting, followed by Femafro meetings and the influence of the audio-blog Afrolis, which she considers to be a milestone for the training of activists of her generation. She also reveals that she was part of the governing bodies of Femafro and Djass.

Lúcia Furtado grew up in Miratejo, where there are very distinct ethnic-racial communities and a relatively peaceful multicultural environment for the vast majority of inhabitants, although with some tensions. This 'specific' environment and the fact of having a structured, middle-class family, protected her for a long time from thinking about racial issues. 

Thinking about the images most present in memory: regarding the “refugee crisis”, Lúcia Furtado refers to the images of boats arriving in the Mediterranean and, more recently, the image of the Aylan Kurdi’s dead body on the beach; regarding immigration, racism and the anti-racist fight, the images of female workers in public transportation, namely how 'at the time when many of us were leaving the clubs, they were taking the opposite route to go to work'; regarding racism and anti-racist activism, the demonstrations on the death of Giovani because they were very remarkable for being spontaneous.

Concerning the similarities between coverage on refugees and on 'internal others,' the activist considers that the antiracist issue has become fashionable in the last few years. The work of the antiracist movement brought the topic to the public space. Alternative media – Afrolis, Afrolink, Bantumen - is forcing the mainstream media to become more present. In Portugal, often coverage focuses on situations involving something criminal – hitting, getting beaten, dying – while there is no coverage on cultural, educational projects, etc., of the Black population. According to Lúcia, this is worrisome because it gives the idea that Black people's lives come down to that. Regarding refugee people, the activist thinks it's different, because the media tries to show positive aspects: they come from war situations and not because they want to.

Considering the evolution in the representations of racialized people in the Portuguese media, Lúcia says that despite the resistance of the mainstream media, some people have managed to break through- But mainstream media hasn't changed much and place the anti-racist struggle and far-right as two sides of the same coin, as if they were the same thing. For the activist, antiracism does not define her as a person: 'We have other skills, and we must be called to talk about other things. We have professionals in all areas. Why don't we show up to talk about other things?'

Femafro's contribution to constructing alternative narratives about racialized people happens as part of the association's activities. Lúcia gives an example of an event at a school in Amadora, on Girls' Day, with the participation of the writer Djamilia Pereira de Almeida. When students, primarily Black, said they did not feel Portuguese that shocked the teachers. The pandemic postponed a documentary series with 12-minute episodes about Black women from different areas and who may not even be activists.

On the usefulness of style guides for journalists, the Lúcia says, 'It is another guide. It won't have much effect. There's a lot of work that needs to be done for this guideline to be of any use."