Counter-colonial practices in A Color Defect, by Ana Maria Gonçalves

Abstract

Um defeito de cor (2006) (A color defect, in direct translation), a work of fiction by Ana Maria Gonçalves, deserves a rereading for several reasons: 1) because, given its historical nature, the book is a revision of Brazil’s historical formation narrated by the voice of a black woman; 2) because the work portrays the counter-colonial practices of enslaved people, as well as their strengths and acts of resistance; 3) because the book serves as an aesthetic artifact by presenting a model with historical and ancestral characteristics. Thus, such work addresses, pungently, various modes of African representation and shows the place of speech of a female voice that was previously silenced. With this in mind, this paper discusses the counter-colonial practices observed in Kehinde’s journey, from the studies of Santos (2023); Ribeiro (2019); Quijano (2010); Mbembe (2018); among others.

Submission: Jul 27, 2026 ⊶ Accepted: Sep 25, 2026