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Black Awareness Day
Black Awareness Day
In Brazil, Black Awareness Day or better known as Black Consciousness Day (Portuguese: Dia da Consciência Negra) is observed annually on November 20 as a day “to celebrate a regained awareness by the black community about their great worth and contribution to the country”.
Black Awareness Day has been celebrated since the 1960s and has amplified its events in the last few years. Originally, it was celebrated on May 13 (the date of abolition of slavery in Brazil). It was later moved to November 20 to honour Zumbi’s death, and is sometimes called Zumbi Day. It is an official state holiday in Alagoas, Amazonas, Amapá, Mato Grosso, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and marked elsewhere by multiple city councils.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Awareness_Day
HISTORY OF BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS DAY
Originally, Black Consciousness Day was celebrated on May 13 — the day when slavery was officially abolished in Brazil. It was moved to November 20 in honor of a Black hero, which amplified the day’s historical significance.
Zumbi dos Palmares was a Brazilian of Kongo origin and a leader of one of the ‘quilombos’ — a figurative settlement consisting of enslaved Africans having escaped their brutal masters. Zumbi was a freedom fighter and a legendary Black hero. He was given to Portuguese slavery at the vulnerable age of six and escaped nine years later, returning to Palmares (where he was born) and immediately launched an anti-slavery campaign against Portuguese oppression.
The campaign did wonders for enslaved Black communities, including helping accommodate runaway slaves and other minorities who were subjected to oppression. Zumbi was so brave and vigilant that many followers considered him immortal. However, betrayed by one of his own, he was finally captured by the Portuguese on November 20, 1695, immediately beheaded, and displayed as a warning sign for rebellious slaves.
Black Consciousness Day has been celebrated since the 1960s, highlighted with cultural, sociopolitical, and academic activities including public protests against inequality, discrimination, and racism. Later on, the day was moved to November 20 in honor of Zumbi’s death, the national hero who lives as a symbol of the struggle of slaves. This day is also sometimes called Zumbi Day.