On May 23rd, Time magazine in the United States disclosed the 2023 list of Next Generation Leaders. Among the ten names this year is Renê Silva, a Brazilian whom Time described as “one of the most prominent (who stands out) Black journalists and activists in Brazil.”

Born in Rio de Janeiro, 28-yearold Renê is a journalist and the founder of Voz das Comunidades (voice of communities), a newspaper and website that mainly features news about communities in the Complexo do Alemão area in the northern part of the capital of Rio de Janeiro state.

How did it all start?

Renê’s first steps took place in 2005, at 11, when he convinced teachers at the school where he studied in the Alemão he should join the local student newspaper, even though the oldest students thought he was too young for this. Three months later, Renê started his own publication, Voz das Comunidades, and asked other kids to help him.

Renê told Time magazine that he “didn’t see the favela I knew represented” in the publications he was familiar with. According to him, everything the media showed about communities revolved around issues like violence and death. For this reason, “so people from outside thought that’s all there is here”, he said.

Voz das Comunidades is currently recognized as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), with 35 staff members who cover communities in Rio de Janeiro state on topics such as culture, sports, education, and issues that need to be solved by governments.

The Future

According to Time, Renê plans to reach other places with his work, impacting public schools throughout Brazil. One of the journalist’s goals is to inspire children to have their own projects, just as was the case in his childhood and youth. “My mission is to ensure that favelas have an increasingly larger voice”, he said to Time.

Sources: Agência Brasil, CNN Brasil, Time, Veja magazine and Voz das Comunidades.

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