Museum opens exhibition about black Brazilians in southern state of Paraná

Museu Paranaense in southern Brazil now features an exposition about Afro-Brazilians
Museu Paranaense in southern Brazil now features an exposition about Afro-Brazilians

Note from BW of Brazil: A few days ago on the day, the blog featured a brief profile of Marcilene Garcia de Souza, a professor and militant of black history and visibility in the southern Brazilian state of  Paraná. As mentioned in that post, the history of Afro-Brazilians in the country’s three most southern states has always been, for the most part invisible, as the states sought to portray this region as the whitest and most European part of Brazil. While it is true that a late 19th century elite plan for massive European immigration to whiten the country does indeed account for this region having the largest percentage of persons who consider themselves to be white, there is also a history of African descendants that is beginning to come to the fore. The article below explains how a museum is doing its part in recovering this history.  

State of Paraná in southern Brazil
State of Paraná in southern Brazil

On May 16th, the Paranaense Museum, located in the state of Paraná in southern Brazil, began presenting the exhibition “Negros no Paraná: passado e presente (Blacks in Paraná: Past and Present)” about the presence of African descendants in the state. Besides the exhibition, other events will discuss the theme “negro no Paraná (black in Paraná)”, until September 15. Admission is free.

Journalist Herivelto Oliveira, UFPR Professor Jorge Azor Pinto and Lawyer André Luiz Nunes da Silva, participate in the debate "Profissional Negro no Paraná - desafios e conquistas (Black professional in Paraná - challenges and conquests) at the Museu Paranaense
Journalist Herivelto Oliveira, UFPR Professor Jorge Azor Pinto and Lawyer André Luiz Nunes da Silva, participate in the debate “Profissional Negro no Paraná – desafios e conquistas (Black professional in Paraná – challenges and conquests) at the Museu Paranaense

The exposition is composed of six photographic panels that depict images of historical monuments and characters of the past with an interface of manifestations and personalities of the present. Among the topics covered are profession, culture, religion and its importance in building the mosaic population of Curitiba (capital city) and Paraná.

Singer/songwriter Lápis is featured in the exposition about blacks in Paraná
Singer/songwriter Lápis is featured in the exposition about blacks in Paraná

The social construction of Paraná is linked to the process by which several people, groups, settlers and immigrants came to the state. Together, one must consider the presence of the population contingent of cultures of African and Afro-Brazilian origin.

The Samba group Sambistas do Colorado is featured in the exposition about blacks in Paraná
The Samba group Sambistas do Colorado is featured in the exposition about blacks in Paraná

The historical, sociological and anthropological dimension of the state dates back to a past of permanent contributions and a present of increasing visibility. The characters and monuments of this story weave men and women, young and old, and written reports, synchronously, in a tangle of lives past and present in interaction between the various groups of our social mosaic. Besides the exhibition, other events will discuss the theme “black in Paraná”.

Source: Agência Estadual de Notícias

About Marques Travae 3747 Articles
Marques Travae. For more on the creator and editor of BLACK WOMEN OF BRAZIL, see the interview here.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.