Valongo Wharf, Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos, and Serra da Barriga have been included in the Network of Historic and Memorial Sites Related to Slavery and the Slave Trade, established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
“The Brazilian government welcomes the inclusion of these three sites, an initiative that contributes to the preservation and transmission of the memory of slavery, the recognition of the historical resistance of the black population, and the education of new generations,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release.
The Network already includes the Museu da Inconfidência in Minas Gerais, as well as the Casa da Hera and República museums, both in Rio de Janeiro.
The application for inclusion in the Network was submitted by the ministry, which nominated Valongo Wharf, located in the port area of Rio de Janeiro, as a site preserving the remains of one of the Americas’ main landing points for enslaved Africans. Since 2017, Valongo Wharf has also been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos, based in Salvador, in the state of Bahia, has been a historic symbol of organization and solidarity among the black population since the 19th century. It is Brazil’s first black civil institution to have operated continuously. Founded in 1832 by Manoel Victor Serra and other free black men, it was driven by a spirit of resistance that, according to the organization itself, “echoed the Búzios Revolt (1798) and the Malês Revolt (1835), bringing together organization, solidarity, and the struggle for our people’s freedom.”
Serra da Barriga is home to the Quilombo dos Palmares Memorial Park, located in União dos Palmares, in the state of Alagoas. The site preserves the memory of Quilombo dos Palmares, another important center of resistance to slavery in Brazil. Since 1988, it has been recognized as a Brazilian national heritage site.
Network of Historic and Memorial Sites
UNESCO created the Network to promote the preservation of sites associated with the history of slavery and the trafficking of enslaved people. With the participation of local communities, the initiative also seeks to encourage the exchange of experiences and the development of educational initiatives.
“Established in 2024 as part of UNESCO’s ‘Routes of the Enslaved: Resistance, Freedom, and Heritage’ initiative, the Network seeks to connect sites in different countries, promote the exchange of experiences and international cooperation, and develop initiatives in education, research, and the preservation of memory,” Marlova Jovchelovitch Noleto, Director and UNESCO Representative in Brazil, told Agência Brasil.
Noleto notes that more than simply recognizing the past, the initiative seeks to help ensure that this memory is passed on to new generations and to foster an understanding of the lasting effects of slavery, including structural racism and the inequalities that persist in contemporary societies.
“It is a way to transform places of memory into living spaces for knowledge, intercultural dialogue, and the promotion of human rights,” she added.
Ivanir dos Santos, who holds a Ph.D. in Comparative History from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), emphasizes that “the importance of these heritage sites is also closely tied to the historical trajectory of Brazil’s black movement, whose efforts have been fundamental in denouncing racism, fighting for rights, combating the erasure of Afro-Brazilian memory, and securing recognition of the black population’s contributions to society.”
Source: Agência Brasil