A esperança e a luta histórica

What does “esperançar” mean in Portuguese?

Esperançar is a verb the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire coined from esperança (hope) — but it’s not esperar (to wait). Freire’s own distinction: hope from the verb “to wait” isn’t hope, it’s just waiting; esperançar means getting up, going after it, building — living out what you believe instead of sitting back and hoping it happens on its own.

In this clip, the speaker applies Freire’s idea directly: you can’t hope for solidarity while hoarding, or hope for a fairer society while holding onto your own prejudice — esperançar demands that your daily actions match what you claim to want. The word has become a rallying term in Brazilian education and activism circles, often paired with luta (struggle), exactly as it is here.