➤ JUREMA AND NICINHA, from p.30
school. And there’s more grandma:
I’m going to college.’ And she accomplished
it all, living in a favela.”
Happiness is compounded by
the fact that Jurema and Nicinha’s
retirement home in Guando nears
completion, even if they don’t have
enough for materials and labor.
“I always told J that dreams are
built little by little, one step at a
time,” said Nicinha. “Our house
in Rocinha, we built it ourselves.
And now we’re building this other
house, where we want to grow old.
Right here, in this house, on this
land.” At another point, Nicinha
thankfully glances around her unfi
nished future home, stating, “Oh
my god, my house is so big. I’m in
awe of this house.”
Jurema, who grew up in Rocinha,
saw its transformation during
her lifetime. She saw parts of the
area morph; fi elds of banana and
orange trees turned into rows of
shacks. Another apparent change
in the Rocinha area is the rise of
drug-related violence and police
killings. During one scene, the
camera lingers over a plaque that
says, “In memory of Amarildo de
Souza, a bricklayer who disappeared
on 7/14/2013.” The plaque
also notes he was taken into custody
by police, who killed him. Michelle
stands beside Souza in the
photo that’s shown.
Souza was just of one of many
individuals murdered by police in
Brazil’s favelas, and the numbers
have continued to climb. According
to the Public Security Institute,
from January through November
2018, alone, police killed 1,444
people in the state of Rio de Janeiro
— a 39 percent jump from the
same period the year before. By
2019, 1,814 people were killed by
police, and during the fi rst months
of 2020, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
recorded upticks in the number
of killings by Brazilian police.
A story published in O Globo noted
that police in the state of São
Paulo killed 381 people between
January and April of 2020 — a 30
percent increase when compared
to the previous year. During the
last nine months, the police have
been responsible for killing nearly
800 people during unlawful favela
raids, according to Federal Fluminense
University.
Brazilian police offi cially are
only allowed to use lethal force to
address an imminent threat, so offi
cers regularly claim self-defense
when executing residents. However,
Human Rights Watch and other
groups have found that many killings
amount to illegal executions.
The police violence in Brazil may
hit close to home for Black and
brown Americans who indiscriminately
experience human rights
violations. Even the successful
prosecution of former Minneapolis
police offi cer Derek Chauvin,
who murdered 46-year-old George
Floyd, was bittersweet. At least
six people were fatally shot by offi
cers across the United States in
the 24 hours after jurors reached
a verdict, including 16-year-old
Ma’Khia Bryant.
Despite police abuse being a
blight on Brazil, Jurema and Nicinha
still fi nd moments to revel in
their love. The two pay a visit to the
ocean near their home in Rocinha
and wander down memory lane.
They discuss their wedding at the
Jordan River, jumping over the fi re
and vowing to be together until
death. They also recall their visit to
Nicinha’s mother’s home in Campo
Grande. At the time, the couple
hadn’t publicly admitted the nature
of their relationship. Still, at
bedtime, Nicinha’s mother, who
knew the two women were lovers,
insisted she was no fool and offered
them her bed.
In the fi nal moments of the episode,
viewers once again get to
see Jurema and Nicinha ring in
the New Year with their family on
the roof of their Rocinha home.
Jurema says, “Bring it on, 2020.”
Cut to the women in their Guando
home, which is complete and furnished.
The two are shown eating
fruit pulled from their tree, moving
about the yard, feeding chickens,
and resting on one another.
“Nicinha and I looked for a place
where we can live peacefully until
death do us part,” said Jurema.
“At one point, I thought about life
without her. By now, we’ve had
many, many reasons to live apart.
But we can’t. She can’t live without
me, and I can’t live without her.
Nicinha is the love of my life. She’s
everything to me.”
GayCityNews.com | MAY 6 - MAY 19, 2021 31
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