The Day of Black Consciousness is celebrated on November 20 . Although it is not a public holiday throughout Brazil, it is a public holiday in some cities and in the following states:Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Alagoas, Amazonas, Amapá and Rio Grande do Sul.
The date recalls the day Zumbi dos Palmares was assassinated, November 20, 1695. Zumbi was leader of the Quilombo de Palmares, a slave refuge, and during his life he fought against slavery.
How did Black Awareness Day come about?
The Black Consciousness Day came about at the initiative of Grupo Palmares. This group was founded in 1971 by black university students in Porto Alegre. Among its objectives, one of them was to reflect on the situation of blacks in Brazil.
At the group's first meeting, the idea arose of creating a day to celebrate the importance of black culture, and they chose the day on which Zumbi dos Palmares was murdered, because they identified with the story of Zumbi.
During the Lula government (2003-2010), Law nº 10.639 of January 9, 2003, determined the inclusion of the theme “Afro-Brazilian History and Culture” in the school curriculum.
In that same document, it was established that schools would celebrate black consciousness:“Art. 79-B. The school calendar will include November 20th as 'National Black Awareness Day' .”
However, it was only under Dilma Rousseff's government, and through Law No. 12,519 of November 10, 2011, that the Black Consciousness Day was made official. The commemoration was instituted as the National Day of Zombie and Black Consciousness.
The importance of the date lies in the recognition of African descendants in the constitution and construction of Brazilian society.
The main themes that can be addressed on Black Awareness Day are racism, discrimination, social equality, the inclusion of black people in society, Afro-Brazilian religion and culture.
Quotes about Black Consciousness
"Black people in Brazil are born forbidden to be intelligent ." (Paulo Freire)
"Racial prejudice is unfair and causes great suffering to people." (Back)
"I have a dream. The dream of seeing my children judged on their personality, not the color of their skin ." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
"As long as the philosophy that there is an Inferior and a Superior race prevails, the world will be permanently at war! " (Bob Marley)
"Our claim is a non-racial society. It's not a question of race; it's a question of ideas ." (Nelson Mandela)
"We don't fight for integration or separation. We fight to be recognized as human beings ." (Malcon X)
UN Brazil launches documentary on Black Awareness DayWho was Zumbi dos Palmares?
Popularly called Zumbi dos Palmares, he was the last of the leaders of Quilombo dos Palmares, located in the current state of Alagoas, during the colonial period.
The son of enslaved Africans and born in this quilombo, Zumbi was educated by a priest and later returned to his birthplace. There, he fought so that the quilombo was not destroyed by the colonists, who considered that meeting of freed blacks a danger.
In 1695, at the age of 40, Zumbi was murdered by Captain Furtado de Mendonça, at the behest of Domingos Jorge Velho. He was beheaded and his head taken to Recife where it was exposed in a public square.
You may also be interested in :
- Black Consciousness
- Quotes for Black Awareness Day
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- Black Brazilian Personalities