The Whitewashing of Yoruba Goddess Iemanjá in Brazil

“The increased interest of foreign researchers, [like the French photographer Pierre Verger and the American anthropologist Ruth Landes], and Brazilian artists, [like musician Dorival Caymmi and romancist Jorge Amado], in Afro-Bahian culture, and the consequent shift in the [racist] tone of the local media, helped make the Iemanjá festivity an appealing touristic event,” says Sarah Nascimento, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology who concentrates on Brazilian racial relations at the Federal University of Bahia.