Claudinete Colé De Souza

Claudinete Colé is 38 years old and self-identifies as quilombola, a self-declared ethno-racial group. Quilombolas were African slaves who escaped and formed independent settlements in Brazil. Today, the term applies to both their direct descendants and to those who inhabit remaining settlement territories, or quilombos. She is a member of the Boa Vista community, a remnant quilombo settlement in the municipality of Oriximiná, in the state of Pará. Claudinete has two degrees from technical school: one in environmental affairs and one in agriculture and cattle ranching. And she has a bachelor degree in information systems. Claudinete has been involved with the Associação das Comunidades Remanescentes de Quilombos do Município de Oriximiná (Association of Remaining Quilombo Communities of the Municipality of Oriximiná, or ARQMO) for seventeen years, participating in workshops and lectures. For the past three years, she has served as ARQMO’s Executive Coordinator, and was the first woman in her position.

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