Dr. Ana Lúcia Silva Souza is an activist, an educator, a reader of the world. She has a degree in political and social sciences, a master's degree in social sciences, a doctorate and a postdoctoral degree in applied linguistics. Dr. Silva Souza is a professor at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), in the Institute of Letters. She leads the UFBA-based research group RASURAS: Literacies of Reexistence in the Black Diaspora. She is affiliated with the Brazilian Association of Black Researchers - ABPN and on the board of directors of the NGO Ação Educativa. In her research she delves into uses of language, literacy, hip hop culture, youth and affirmative action policies as tools for social change. Dr. Silva Souza has published, taught, and lectured extensively throughout the Americas and the African Continent.