THE CHOICES PROGRAM BROWN UNIVERSITY
VIDEO COLLECTION

Brazil: A History of Change

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Introduction: A New Century of Change

Why is it important for high school students to understand Brazil and its transition to democracy?
How did regional identities develop in Brazil?
Why should high school students learn about slavery in Brazil?

Part I: Brazil’s Beginnings

How did the transatlantic slave trade shape Brazilian history?
How did some enslaved people try to buy their freedom?
How did enslaved people in Brazil resist slavery?
What were quilombos?
Who was Luís Gama and why was he important?

Part II: The Brazilian Republic

Why did immigrants and migrants come to São Paulo in the early 20th century?
Why is Getúlio Vargas an important figure in Brazilian history?
How did the idea of “whitening” develop in Brazil?
Why did the idea of “whitening” develop in Brazil?
What do you remember about Brazil’s 1964 military coup?
What does the 1976 census say about how Brazilians thought about race?
What was the Estado Novo?
How did Vargas hope to transform the Amazon?
How did Vargas’s plans affect Indigenous groups?
What was Brazil’s relationship with the United States during World War II?
Why did Brazil become a military dictatorship in 1964?
What methods did the military dictatorship in Brazil use to stay in power?
How did Afro-Brazilians experience the military dictatorship in Brazil?
What methods of torture were used during the Brazilian military dictatorship?
What was life like during the dictatorship for ordinary Brazilians?
Why did you join the resistance against the Brazilian military dictatorship?
How did you resist and survive being tortured by the Brazilian military dictatorship?
How did the abolition of slavery affect Brazil?

1984: Direct Elections Now!

Which groups organized to end military rule in Brazil?

Part III: Brazilians Reclaim Democracy

Do people in Brazil identify with their ethnic origins?
How do perceptions of race differ in Brazil and the United States?
How does racism operate differently in Brazil and the United States?
How do Brazilians think about race today?
Why was there opposition to Brazil’s HIV-AIDS policies?
What are the legacies of slavery in Brazil?
As president, what were your goals for Brazil?
What policies did you put in place to support women during your presidency?
How do gender stereotypes affect women in politics?
How did Brazilian activists promote their agenda?
Why is the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff an important moment in Brazil’s history?
How did your arrest and torture during the military dictatorship influence your decisions as president?
How did the 1964 Brazilian coup affect your political values?
How does development affect the environment in Brazil?
What were the primary goals of your administration?
What major issues did the constitution of 1988 address?
Why did Brazil enact a new constitution in 1988?
How does Brazil’s history of dictatorship continue to affect the country today?
What are some important recent developments in Brazil?
What are some important legacies of the military dictatorship in Brazil?
What is the Brazilian Truth Commission and why is it controversial?
What role did the Brazilian National Truth Commission play in remembering the past and revealing injustices?
What are some of the biggest challenges facing Brazil today?
How have non-European immigrants been treated in Brazil?
Why is social protest important in Brazil?
How are women participating in Brazilian politics today?
Why are land rights an issue for descendants of quilombos?
Why is there police violence against Black Brazilians today?
How has the restoration of cities overlooked the history of Afro-Brazilians?
What is the Black consciousness movement in Brazil?

Lesson: Film Analysis: Repression and Resistance During Military Rule

What methods did the military dictatorship in Brazil use to stay in power?
What was life like during the dictatorship for ordinary Brazilians?

Lesson: The Options Role Play

Which groups organized to end military rule in Brazil?
What was the Diretas Já movement and why was it important?

Lesson: Racial Identity in Brazil

How does the painting “The Redemption of Ham” by Modesto Brocos illustrate ideas of whitening?
Why did the idea of “whitening” develop in Brazil?
What does the 1976 census say about how Brazilians thought about race?
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