Alex Ribeiro, author
Reject
supremacism.
“We deserve better worlds. And we have the means to create them.”
Alex Ribeiro writes to bring to light the logics of domination we have learned to tolerate, to reproduce or to no longer see.
Through poetry, philosophy, humour and a voice that doesn’t ask for permission, he connects struggles, unsettles certainties and opens new paths for reflecting on our relationship to others and to the living world.
One logic, many forms of domination
Supremacism is not limited to racism.
All domination begins with a belief: “Thinking oneself superior to the point of granting oneself more rights, worth or power over others.”
- racism
- neocolonialism
- sexism
- homophobia
- religious domination
- the power of wealth
- the domination of children
- animal exploitation
These forms of domination do not produce the same experiences. Yet they share a logic that makes it possible to control, exploit or dehumanize the other.
Alex Ribeiro sets out to make this logic visible. Not to offer ready-made thinking, but to help us recognize what we reproduce in our beliefs, our behaviours and our daily lives.
“Now that you know where to look, you can do something.”
His vision and approach
Leaving the systems that shrink our worlds.
Alex starts from his experience as a Black man and from the history of Afro-descendant resistance. His writing speaks first and foremost to Black communities, without closing the conversation to those who wish to question systems of domination.
His Afro-vegan approach links the liberation of Afro-descendant people, social justice, animal liberation and the questioning of human supremacism.
His vision in one word
EXODUS
A collective exit from systems of domination, and an invitation to imagine freer, fairer and more coherent ways of inhabiting the world.
“Because we all deserve better than this world.”
Who is Alex Ribeiro?
A decade of reading, a bit of therapy and a book.
Born in Côte-des-Neiges with West African roots, I had to learn, like every other Afro-descendant, the codes and articles of faith of white supremacism. It’s a legal obligation, all the more so since my parents dreamed of seeing me in high-ranking, well-respected positions. But I have a hard time tolerating nonsense without questioning it or laughing at it, so I got on the wrong side of quite a few authorities during my school years.
To operate without being spotted and targeted as much, I had to build myself a believer’s mask. It was a job requirement in a society that, unwilling to admit its unrivalled love of slavery, demands faith to replace the chain at one’s feet.
Meanwhile, I educated myself on the history of our resistance, first under the guidance of Ice Cube and Malcolm X, then of Césaire and the Rasta communities. I translated Garvey and came face to face with his soft spot for fascists. I realized that supremacisms form one big family, where a shortage of faith in one is easily made up for by another. And so I saw with disgust what had once convinced me.
I had to deconstruct in private, and after a decade of reading and a bit of therapy, I wrote a book. There will be another, and probably more after that, until the day I get fed up. Or, better yet, when the heart of my message has gotten through and the next generation is ready. At that point, I’ll be able to get the hell out and go live in a nice little cabin in the bush, complete with a lovely Barbara — the pull-up bar that cuddles me so.
Basically, I’m another you who cooks without oil.
- Origins
- Born in Montréal and raised in Côte-des-Neiges.
- Roots
- Of Cape Verdean and Senegalese descent.
- Education
- University training in translation with a minor in linguistics.
- Today
- Author, translator, father and creator for whom writing remains the first mode of expression.
First work · Long philosophical poem
J’ai trouvé l’épine de Karaba
What if the different forms of domination we fight all stemmed from a single belief: thinking oneself superior to the point of claiming the right to control, exploit or dehumanize the other?
In this long philosophical poem, Alex Ribeiro blends poetry, reflection, history and personal experience to examine supremacism as a logic that reaches far beyond racism alone.
A free, committed and deliberately uncomfortable work for those who refuse to take the established order for granted.
Also available as an ebook: Kindle edition.
Published in French under the name Alexandre Ribeiro.
Where the title comes from: why Karaba?
The thorn that wounds and grants power.
The title refers to Karaba, the sorceress from the tale of Kirikou. She terrorizes Kirikou’s village by seizing all of its wealth and turning every brave warrior who stands up to her into unrecognizable enslaved fetishes — a fitting parallel to the Europe–Africa dynamic. The source of Karaba’s power is a thorn lodged in her back that tortures her while granting her destructive powers.
For Alex Ribeiro, this analogy raises a broader question: what is this thorn that feeds systems of domination while poisoning the lives of those who reproduce them?
In the book, this thorn has a name: supremacism.
Next event
An evening with Alex Ribeiro.
On , Alex Ribeiro invites you to the official launch of J’ai trouvé l’épine de Karaba and to continue in person the conversations the book opens.
The evening will include a presentation, readings from the book, a conversation with the author, a Q&A and a book signing.
- Venue
- Maison de l’Afrique
6256, rue Henri-Julien, Montréal - Seats
- Limited — registration required
Reserve your seat and your copy of the book on Eventbrite. Your book, signed by Alex, will be handed to you on the night of the event.
Eventbrite link to come. No ticket or book purchase is processed on ribeiroalex.com.
The universe continues
Writings, ideas and other forms of disobedience.
J’ai trouvé l’épine de Karaba is a starting point. Alex continues his reflection through other writings, new works and conversations on supremacism, Afro-veganism, Black resistance, culture and the living world.
This space will let you follow his work beyond the first book and gradually explore the other territories of his thinking.
Get in touch
Invite Alex to join the conversation.
Would you like to invite Alex to an event, a reading, an interview, a discussion or a collaboration? You can also write to him directly to share a thought or a question about his work.
