Paper short abstract:

The aim of this study is to analyse the discourses constructed by Afro-descendant communities in Brazil (Quilombolas), seeking to understand the relationships between the struggle for land, for autonomy and for freedom.

Paper long abstract:

The aim of this study is to analyse the discourses constructed by Afro-descendant communities in Brazil, self-denominated Quilombolas, seeking to understand the relationships between the struggle for land, for autonomy and for freedom through the analysis of the re-signification of an initially strange lexicon, imposed from “outside”, “from above”. Due to the process of recognition of these communities by the State (post-1988) and the consequent legalization of their lands, a movement organized by black leaders emerged to reframe the concept of Quilombo and “being a quilombola”. This resignification went through the search for a memory that would help legitimize their struggle, their existence. Spontaneously, the search for this memory led many groups to recognize themselves as heirs of a glorious past that has a direct connection with Africa and with the struggle of enslaved people for freedom and autonomy. In this study, we will focus on six quilombola communities in the state of Pernambuco, northeaster Brazil. What they have in common is the construction of a narrative that goes back to Quilombo dos Palmares (revered by the Black Movement) and its leaders (Ganga Zumba and Zumbi). Rescuing this memory helped these communities gain recognition from the State, collective belonging, and appreciation of the Afro-descendant past. With an eye on the future and the daily struggle for survival, new lexicons have entered communities, in a movement that aims to promote community based tourism, collective empowerment, entrepreneurship and governance. Lexicons also resignified and rethought in a participatory way.