Fábio Justino: 'The Nation has always known how to value race very well'
Read an interview with the fan who leads the Magia Rubro-Negra blog, on Black Awareness Day
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
On National Black Awareness Day, there's nothing better than interviewing a fan who symbolizes the black race and the red-black race. Fábio Justino, 32, from Rio de Janeiro, living in Nova Iguaçu, is one of the creators of the blog Magia Rubro-Negra ( http://magiarubronegra.wordpress.com ), has always enjoyed writing. He has contributed to Flamengo's official website. In his spare time, he works in logistics at a multinational beverage company. He was invited by the team via Nação, the new section of the official website dedicated to fans, to speak on topics related to Black Awareness Day.
Official Website Team – In your opinion, Flamengo has a multiracial character? Why?
Fabio Justino – Yes, it does. Flamengo is and always will be the club of the masses. It's proven to be the club of blacks, whites, indigenous people, Asians, the poor, and the rich. We're giants in every aspect anyone cares to discuss. I believe this envy stems from the failed attempts to diminish Flamengo's importance, as it's the club of both the minority and the majority, the club with the nearly omnipresent Mantle. I believe the early history of Flamengo can explain some of this racial plurality, from the improvised field at Praia do Russel, the Paissandu grounds, the youthful joy of the Flamengo boys, the "Peace and Love" Republic festivities, to the intense Carnival celebrations with their reco-recos.
Official Website Team Some fans of other teams say that "Flamengo is a black team." Does that bother you?
Fabio Justino – Honestly, no. In my opinion, this is an irrational way of trying to diminish the importance of the red-and-black fans. But the nation has always known how to value the race that, throughout the century, has contributed and continues to contribute so much to the rise of Flamengo itself, Brazil, and the world. Can anyone imagine football without Pelé and Garrincha? Flamengo without Dida, Leônidas da Silva, Zizinho, Índio, Adílio, Andrade, and Júnior? Or a world without a blood bank, a car without gears, and an avenue without traffic lights?
Official Website Team When fans of other teams shout "silence in the favela" at the Maraca, what do you think about that?
Fabio Justino "I don't like it, but it's not because of the prejudiced tone. It's because every time our opponents chant it, it means we're losing (laughs). But really, if there's one thing this expression inspires in me, it's pride. It reflects something Flamengo fans do—much better than anyone else—which is take something rival fans use as provocation and turn it into a party in the stands. This chant was a great example of this; we took this chant, swapped "silence" for "party." Voila! It became a hit in the stands and perfectly matched the return of Adriano Imperador, a young man born and raised in a Rio favela. A place for financially disadvantaged, dignified, and good-natured people who end up living in close proximity to crime. But the Nação Rubro-Negra, with its good humor, has shattered stereotypes long entrenched in our society." The very red-and-black Ruy Castro defined it very well when he wrote: "Rio was his birthplace, but his home is Brazil. His red and black shirt travels by canoe through the streams; gallops along the hills; walks through the backlands; colors all the beaches; is in the shacks of the favelas and in the triplex penthouses. His colors dress famous and anonymous, criminals and victims, corrupt and honest, poor and high-class, elderly and children, the very ugly and the very beautiful."
Official Website Team – Do you still feel some kind of racism, even if it’s veiled?
Fabio Justino I'd love to say no! But unfortunately, I still feel and experience it. Believe it or not, I experience it every now and then. Believing that racism doesn't exist in Brazil is a waste of time. It's undeniable that it's diminished significantly, but yes, in a very subtle way, it still exists. It's in people's eyes, in their attitudes, in their jokes, in their derogatory speech. Of course, it's not just Black people who suffer from racism. I believe that the path to neutralizing the racial issue in Brazil has something in common with the treatment for alcoholism: the first step to overcoming it is simply accepting that the problem exists.
Official Website Team What do you think about the institutionalization of the November 20th holiday?
Fabio Justino We celebrate Halloween and April Fools' Day, which, in my opinion, are dates that add nothing to the culture and knowledge of the Brazilian people. November 20th is extremely important. However, I wouldn't like this day to be transformed into just another holiday or a day to debate Zumbi's sexuality and complain about the excessive holidays in the national calendar. I recommend that all Flamengo supporters research the life of Zumbi, perhaps the world's greatest symbol of resistance, the man who unconditionally defended the important Quilombo dos Palmares. November 20th should increasingly cease to be Black Consciousness Day, honoring the memory of the Black leader Zumbi dos Palmares, and become entrenched in the national imagination as a date of celebration and advocacy for all Brazilians. Many of them still need to have their existence and rights recognized. Without a doubt, Zumbi's respectable intelligence and his fight for liberation can perfectly open a parallel to the faith and power of overcoming that only the Flamengo mantle can bring.
Official Website Team – In your opinion, Flamengo has a multiracial character? Why?
Fabio Justino – Yes, it does. Flamengo is and always will be the club of the masses. It's proven to be the club of blacks, whites, indigenous people, Asians, the poor, and the rich. We're giants in every aspect anyone cares to discuss. I believe this envy stems from the failed attempts to diminish Flamengo's importance, as it's the club of both the minority and the majority, the club with the nearly omnipresent Mantle. I believe the early history of Flamengo can explain some of this racial plurality, from the improvised field at Praia do Russel, the Paissandu grounds, the youthful joy of the Flamengo boys, the "Peace and Love" Republic festivities, to the intense Carnival celebrations with their reco-recos.
Official Website Team Some fans of other teams say that "Flamengo is a black team." Does that bother you?
Fabio Justino – Honestly, no. In my opinion, this is an irrational way of trying to diminish the importance of the red-and-black fans. But the nation has always known how to value the race that, throughout the century, has contributed and continues to contribute so much to the rise of Flamengo itself, Brazil, and the world. Can anyone imagine football without Pelé and Garrincha? Flamengo without Dida, Leônidas da Silva, Zizinho, Índio, Adílio, Andrade, and Júnior? Or a world without a blood bank, a car without gears, and an avenue without traffic lights?
Official Website Team When fans of other teams shout "silence in the favela" at the Maraca, what do you think about that?
Fabio Justino "I don't like it, but it's not because of the prejudiced tone. It's because every time our opponents chant it, it means we're losing (laughs). But really, if there's one thing this expression inspires in me, it's pride. It reflects something Flamengo fans do—much better than anyone else—which is take something rival fans use as provocation and turn it into a party in the stands. This chant was a great example of this; we took this chant, swapped "silence" for "party." Voila! It became a hit in the stands and perfectly matched the return of Adriano Imperador, a young man born and raised in a Rio favela. A place for financially disadvantaged, dignified, and good-natured people who end up living in close proximity to crime. But the Nação Rubro-Negra, with its good humor, has shattered stereotypes long entrenched in our society." The very red-and-black Ruy Castro defined it very well when he wrote: "Rio was his birthplace, but his home is Brazil. His red and black shirt travels by canoe through the streams; gallops along the hills; walks through the backlands; colors all the beaches; is in the shacks of the favelas and in the triplex penthouses. His colors dress famous and anonymous, criminals and victims, corrupt and honest, poor and high-class, elderly and children, the very ugly and the very beautiful."
Official Website Team – Do you still feel some kind of racism, even if it’s veiled?
Fabio Justino I'd love to say no! But unfortunately, I still feel and experience it. Believe it or not, I experience it every now and then. Believing that racism doesn't exist in Brazil is a waste of time. It's undeniable that it's diminished significantly, but yes, in a very subtle way, it still exists. It's in people's eyes, in their attitudes, in their jokes, in their derogatory speech. Of course, it's not just Black people who suffer from racism. I believe that the path to neutralizing the racial issue in Brazil has something in common with the treatment for alcoholism: the first step to overcoming it is simply accepting that the problem exists.
Official Website Team What do you think about the institutionalization of the November 20th holiday?
Fabio Justino We celebrate Halloween and April Fools' Day, which, in my opinion, are dates that add nothing to the culture and knowledge of the Brazilian people. November 20th is extremely important. However, I wouldn't like this day to be transformed into just another holiday or a day to debate Zumbi's sexuality and complain about the excessive holidays in the national calendar. I recommend that all Flamengo supporters research the life of Zumbi, perhaps the world's greatest symbol of resistance, the man who unconditionally defended the important Quilombo dos Palmares. November 20th should increasingly cease to be Black Consciousness Day, honoring the memory of the Black leader Zumbi dos Palmares, and become entrenched in the national imagination as a date of celebration and advocacy for all Brazilians. Many of them still need to have their existence and rights recognized. Without a doubt, Zumbi's respectable intelligence and his fight for liberation can perfectly open a parallel to the faith and power of overcoming that only the Flamengo mantle can bring.