Born and raised at the Maré Favela Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Rio’s City Councilor Marielle Franco had led a life dedicated to minorities and women’s agendas. “I’m a black woman, a mother, and a product of the Maré favela,” her official website declared.
Ms. Franco was born on June 27, 1979, and studied sociology at Rio’s Pontifical Catholic University thanks to a full scholarship, and later finished her master’s degree in public administration from the Fluminense Federal University. She was a fervent supporter of Flamengo, and a committed funkeira – that is, a dancer of funk brasileiro, a rhythm associated with Rio de Janeiro’s peripheral communities.
She started working at 11 to pay for her education, and was an educator at a daycare center. At 19, she was the best-ranked student in...
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