The gesture of raising an arm with a clenched fist is a symbol frequently seen in social demonstrations, especially in acts carried out by black movements.
But what is the meaning of this symbol?
The clenched fist is a symbol of solidarity and support for causes related to social conflicts such as racism, xenophobia and sexism. The gesture was even commonly used by Nelson Mandela, one of the world’s leading figures in the fight against racial discrimination.
The first black person to be elected president of South Africa, Mandela spent 27 years in prison and was one of the main leaders in the fight against Apartheid, a regime of racial discrimination in the country. He died in 2013.
In 1900, when he left prison after strong international pressure, Mandela appeared in public surrounded by a crowd of supporters and showing his fist clenched and raised.
“[O símbolo] It is also used as a greeting to express unity, strength, defiance or pride in belonging to a politically minoritized social group. The salute dates back to ancient Assyria as a symbol of resistance in the face of violence”, explains sociologist Tadeu Kaçula.
In 2023, the president of the X-9 Paulistana samba school was involved in a controversy involving the clenched fists symbol.
During the concentration, before the school paraded in the Anhembi sambadrome, Mestre Adamastor asked the members to raise their hands and make a fist. After the request, Adamastor questioned what the gesture meant.
“Do you know what that means? No shit. Because if we don’t sing, we’re dead. This is the real thing”, said the president.
The speech was considered racist and disrespectful to the struggle of black movements. The League of Samba Schools of São Paulo released a statement in which it repudiated the statements and promised to take appropriate measures.
“A clenched fist is a symbol of the anti-racist struggle, which expresses the unity, strength and pride of black people. The Liga-SP does not agree with the mistaken speech of a president, expressed during Carnival SP 2023, and will take the appropriate measures internally”, said the entity’s note.
After the controversy, X-9 Paulistana also released a statement and apologized. “We want to highlight that racism or any type of prejudice does not reflect the principles and thoughts of our association or our President. We are a multiple School of thoughts and people, and the greatest principle that guides us is respect for everyone.”
This content was originally published in Consciência Negra: What does the clenched fist symbol mean on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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