Terreiros of reparation: confluences between the epistemologies of the terreiros and the black feminist approach

In recent years, Brazilian black feminism has expanded its reach, becoming an unavoidable approach to overcoming inequalities in the country. This expressiveness has favored the intensification of research on its epistemological bases, which indicates the need to explore the theoretical foundations of this tradition. Along this path, it is observed that one of the singularities of Brazilian black feminist productions concerns the influence of terreiro epistemologies, especially due to the protagonism of black women as priestesses of African-based religions. In this sense, this article asks about the confluences between the practice of African-based religions and the intellectual creation of black women in Brazil. To this end, this article focuses on the trajectory of Terezinha Fernandes Azedias (1945-2022), leader and mother of the saint of the umbanda terreiro of Quilombo de S & atilde;o Jos & eacute; da Serra, located in Valen & ccedil;a (RJ), in order to address the experience, according to bell hooks (2003), as a privileged space for theoretical creation. In methodological terms, this means that there is no separation between thinking, feeling and doing, which is materialized through a narrative that mixes affective, subjective and historical dimensions.