Black President: Clash of the Races

A translation of Monteiro Lobato's "O Presidente Negro ou O Choque das Ra?as," presented in a bilingual format with English alongside the original Portuguese.

Monteiro Lobato was one of Brazil's most imaginative writers. He is best known for his children's series about the bizarre adventures of a feisty little girl and her irreverent rag doll. But Black President: Clash of the Races-the only novel he wrote for adult readers-takes an even wilder ride through Lobato's strange, intriguing perspective on humanity.

Originally titled The Black President, the story is about a young man and woman in Brazil who use a high-tech scope that can see into the future. They follow events in the United States in the year 2228 as Black and white voters vie to elect a president of their own race. It's close until a feminist candidate pits men against women regardless of race.

The story inevitably reflects some of the racism that was accepted as normal in the 1920s, when the book was written. At the same time, it opens racism to everyone's view as the fictional characters grapple with it.

And suddenly, a Black man becomes President of the United States. Hard to believe? Not a hundred years after the book was written. But three centuries later, as Lobato tells the story, a Black president is simply not acceptable to whites.

And then things get ugly.

Ana Lessa-Schmidt's insightful and nuanced translation is the first English version of this Brazilian classic. It was shocking in 1926, and it's even more shocking today.