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Millions of enslaved Africans ended up in Brazil, working in the country’s sugarcane fields or mines. Like much of the diaspora’s enslaved people, they revolted against white supremacy in many ways, but this ONE way was the most crucial.
Afro-Brazilians created self-governed communities called Quilombos. Originally temporary residences for displaced people, they grew to house thousands over time.
They lived separately from Portuguese rule and created a unique political system rooted in the African traditions they came from, like community, balance, and agriculture.
About 1,500 Quilombos exist today; many families have lived within them for generations. The Brazilian government didn’t recognize their existence for centuries. But in 1986, Afro-Brazilian congresswoman, Benedita da Silva created a law that allowed Quilombolas to own their land. And today, an annual oyster festival, Festa da Ostra, raises money to maintain Quilombola communities.
Today Quilombola communities remain close to their land and ancestral African heritage as a way to fight against systemic racism, environmental destruction, and the erasure of their culture. There’s a crucial lesson for us all in their resistance.
Like Quilombolas, we can live amongst our people and thrive. We never needed white supremacy to make a way. These thriving communities have laid the blueprint. They remind us that we, too, can build strong Black communities WITHOUT outside influence.