Students visit Cais do Valongo and other historic sites in Rio
Excursion on the Historic Circuit of the Celebration of African Heritage took place on Saturday (6)
08/07/2024
IMPA Tech students took part in an excursion to the Historical and Archaeological Circuit of the Celebration of African Heritage in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (6). The walk passed different points that tell the story of the enslaved and was led by specialized tour guides in the city center.
The group met at Largo de São Francisco da Prainha, a historic space with preserved colonial architecture, and toured different places, such as Pedra do Sal, Jardim Suspenso do Valongo, Casa da Tia Ciata, Mercado Escravagista, among others.
The students also visited Cais do Valongo, the main port of entry for enslaved Africans to Brazil and the Americas. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historical importance as a memorial to the violence against humanity represented by slavery, and to the resistance, freedom and heritage of Africans.
“It’s a very heavy story, but it’s important for us to know what happened in Rio de Janeiro’s past,” commented student Pedro Henrique Barbosa during the tour.
Student Beatriz Nunes found the experience very interesting and took the opportunity to learn about the city’s history. “I was impressed by the Pretos Novos Memorial Museum. The history of the slave cemetery and the image of Bakhita made me reflect even more on the neglect suffered by the enslaved at that time,” she said.
“Pretos novos” was the name given to newly arrived Africans when they disembarked at the port. The memorial museum brings together the work done by archaeologists in the boreholes and puts the brutality experienced by the slaves into context. “Bakhita” was the name given to a young African woman who couldn’t resist being mistreated in the slave market. Her body was found during an archaeological survey and was named after the patron saint of the kidnapped and enslaved, Saint Josephine Bakhita, the first African saint, who was canonized in 2000.
The excursion on the Historical and Archaeological Circuit of the Celebration of African Heritage was promoted by the undergraduate Pedagogical Support Center (NAP), which sought to create a moment of reflection, appreciation and respect for diversity for a more egalitarian and anti-racist society.
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