For a history of black activism in Brasilia and the Federal District

Abstract

This article presents methodological and conceptual elements of my doctoral research on Black activism in the Federal District, offering resources for middle and high school teachers to discuss the topic in the classroom. My thesis – The Modernist City, Racial Repression, and Political Resistance: Recovering Narratives of National Security and Black Activism in Brasília, Brazil (1978-1988) – explores and analyzes confidential and secret files related to Black Brazilian activism during the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship. By investigating concepts of racial democracy, nation, and anti-subversion within intelligence archives and employing approaches from Critical Archives Studies, I demonstrate how the Brazilian state crafted its racial narrative within its bureaucratic machinery, denying the existence of racial prejudice and Black political agency. My research also incorporates a bottom-up historical perspective by analyzing the oral testimonies of Black activists and their role in Brazil's complex political landscape during the 1980s.