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National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness

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Black Consciousness Day
Black Consciousness Day, by Latuff.
Official nameNational Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness
Also calledZumbi Day; Black Consciousness Day; sometimes mistranslated into English as Black Conscience or Black Awareness
Observed by Brazil
TypeNational
Date20 November
Next time20 November 2026 (2026-11-20)
FrequencyAnnual

In Brazil, the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness (Portuguese: Dia Nacional de Zumbi e da Consciência Negra), also known simply as Black Consciousness Day (Portuguese: Dia da Consciência Negra) is observed every year on 20 November. Conceived in 1971 by poet and activist Oliveira Silveira and the Porto Alegre–based Grupo Palmares, the date was incorporated into the national school calendar in 2003,[1] recognized as a national commemorative date in 2011,[2] and established as a national public holiday on 21 December 2023.[3]

The occasion is dedicated to reflecting on the value and contributions of Afro-Brazilians and to debates about racism, discrimination, social equality and inclusion, as well as Afro-Brazilian and African culture.[4][5] The date was chosen to honor the death of Zumbi of the Quilombo dos Palmares (1695), highlighting Black protagonism in Brazilian history.[6]

Zumbi by Antônio Parreiras.

History

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Origins

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The idea of celebrating 20 November emerged amid Black social movements against racism in the 1970s.[7] In 1971, in Porto Alegre, Oliveira Silveira proposed the date within the Grupo Palmares, an association of activists and researchers of Black Brazilian culture.[8][9] Drawing an analogy with the remembrance of Tiradentes on the date of his death, Silveira argued for commemorating Zumbi's death to center Black agency in national memory.[10] A magazine by Editora Abril listed 20 November as the date of Zumbi's death, which inspired the group's choice; the proposal was approved by members Vilmar Nunes, Ilmo da Silva and Antônio Carlos Côrtes.[9]

Two years after the first celebration, the group's challenge to the traditional 13 May date reached national news, and events honoring overlooked Black historical figures began to spread across the country every November.[9] In 1978, the Unified Black Movement (Movimento Negro Unificado) included Black Consciousness Day in a manifesto, marking the success of the proposal and the end of Grupo Palmares' activities.[7][11]

Censorship under the military regime

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The proposal arose during the military dictatorship, three years after AI-5. When a newspaper announced the 20 November 1971 commemoration under the headline "Zumbi – The homage of the theater's Black people," authorities reportedly confused "Grupo Palmares" with the armed organization VAR-Palmares. The group was summoned by the Federal Police and required to submit the full program to obtain approval by censors.[9]

Significance

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Pátio do Carmo, Recife, where Zumbi's head is said to have been displayed until complete decomposition.[12]

The day symbolizes resistance and recognition of the African ancestry that shaped Brazil, through the homage to the leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares, Zumbi, killed in an ambush in 1695 after repeated colonial assaults. Zumbi has been listed in the Livro dos Heróis da Pátria at the Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom since 1997.[13] Each year the Coordenação Nacional de Entidades Negras organizes the traditional Marcha Zumbi dos Palmares, with themes focused on the struggles and interests of the Black community.[14][15]

Commemorations on the Serra da Barriga, site of the Quilombo dos Palmares.
Afro-Brazilian musical group performing at a school in Olinda, Pernambuco.

Official recognition and public holiday

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A similar federal proposal (PL 1442/2003) was introduced in 2003 but archived in 2009.[16]

Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's first administration, Law No. 10,639/2003 added Black Consciousness Day to school calendars and mandated instruction on History and Afro-Brazilian Culture in the national curriculum for public and private schools, including African history, the struggle of Black people in Brazil and the role of Black Brazilians in national formation.[1] In 2008, the Ministry of Education assessed that implementation lagged, due to a lack of training not only for teachers but also for principals and coordinators.[17]

Law No. 12,519/2011 subsequently instituted National Zumbi and Black Consciousness Day to be commemorated each 20 November.[2] A bill to make the date a national holiday advanced in the Senate in September 2021 and was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in 2023;[18] it was enacted as Law No. 14,759 on 21 December 2023.[3]

Before the federal law, several states and over a thousand municipalities had already declared local holidays. Alagoas established the state holiday in 1995.[19][20] In 2002, Rio de Janeiro (Law No. 4,007 of 11 November) and Mato Grosso (Law No. 7,879 of 27 December) did so as well,[21] followed by Amapá in 2007 (Law No. 1,169) and Amazonas in 2010 (Law No. 84 of 8 July 2010).[22] In Rio Grande do Sul, where Grupo Palmares operated, Law No. 8,352 of 11 September 1987 included the date in the official calendar (but not as a holiday).[23] Also in 1987, São Paulo established Black Consciousness Month in November (Law No. 5,680 of 21 May).[24]

A 2014 survey by the Secretariat for Policies to Promote Racial Equality reported that 1,044 municipalities regulated the holiday locally.[19][25] In São Paulo state alone it is a municipal holiday in the capital and more than 100 other cities.[25]

Events and themes

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Commemorations commonly include courses, seminars, workshops, public hearings and marches, as well as school and community activities aimed at valuing Afro-Brazilian and African culture and combating racism.[8] Topics often include ethnic identity, equality in the labor market and Black pride.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Brasil (9 January 2003). "LEI Nº 10.639, DE 9 DE JANEIRO DE 2003". Presidência da República, Casa Civil, Subchefia para Assuntos Jurídicos (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b Brasil (10 November 2011). "LEI Nº 12.519, DE 10 DE NOVEMBRO DE 2011". Presidência da República (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b "LEI Nº 14.759, DE 21 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2023". Planalto (in Portuguese). Gov.br. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  4. ^ UNESCO (20 November 2012). "No Dia da Consciência Negra, Unesco promove diversidade BR". UN News (Portuguese) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. ^ "20 de novembro – Dia da Consciência Negra". Brasil Escola (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Dia da Consciência Negra, 50 anos: liberdade conquistada; não concedida". Senado Federal (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Dia da Consciência Negra é celebrado com avanços no Brasil". Governo do Brasil (archived mirror) (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Qual a origem do Dia da Consciência Negra?". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d "Grupo que idealizou o Dia da Consciência Negra teve de dar explicações à ditadura". Geledés (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  10. ^ Thiago André (19 November 2019). "20 de Novembro". História Preta (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Cultura africana e consciência negra – Biblioteca Virtual". Governo do Estado de São Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Territórios de memória e resistência". Brasil de Fato (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Dia da Consciência Negra, 50 anos". Senado Federal (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  14. ^ Hortélio, Marina (20 November 2019). "Dia da Consciência Negra: marchas e atos marcam a data de luta contra o racismo". Correio 24 Horas (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Marcha Zumbi dos Palmares lembra a história, a luta e a Década Internacional de Povos Afrodescendentes". Secretaria de Cultura da Bahia (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  16. ^ "PL 1442/2003". Portal da Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  17. ^ "África esquecida: Colégios ignoram lei que obriga ensino da cultura afro". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 27 October 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Câmara aprova feriado nacional em 20 de novembro, Dia de Zumbi e da Consciência Negra". Portal da Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Saiba quais cidades vão ter feriado no Dia da Consciência Negra em 2015". EBC (in Brazilian Portuguese). 10 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  20. ^ "Portaria SEMUDH Nº 9, de 6/11/2015 (Alagoas)". LegisWeb (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  21. ^ "Lei nº 7.879, de 27 de dezembro de 2002 (Mato Grosso)". Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de Mato Grosso (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  22. ^ "Lei Promulgada nº 84, de 8 de julho de 2010 (Amazonas)". LexML (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  23. ^ "Lei 8.352, de 11 de setembro de 1987 (RS)". Assembleia Legislativa do RS – Sistema LEGIS (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Lei nº 5.680, de 21/05/1987 (SP)". LexML (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Veja onde é feriado no Dia da Consciência Negra". Sindicato dos Bancários da Bahia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  26. ^ "No Dia da Consciência Negra, Unesco promove diversidade BR". UN News (Portuguese) (in Portuguese). 20 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
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