Black Awareness Day in 2024

When is Black Awareness Day?

Since the 1960s, November 20th has been celebrated in Brazil as Black Awareness Day (or Black Conscious Day, Portuguese: Dia Nacional da Consciência Negra).

In December 2023, the Official Gazette of the Union published a law making the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness, to be celebrated on November 20th, a holiday.

Approved by the Chamber of Deputies in November, Bill (PL) 3.268/2021 originated in Senate Bill (PLS) 482/2017, by Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP). Under the rapporteurship of Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS), the text was approved conclusively in the Education Commission (EC) in August 2021 and went to the Chamber for consideration, where it was reported by Deputy Reginete Bispo (PT-RS).

The day was already an official holiday in Alagoas, Amazonas, Amapá, Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro e Maranhão States and São Paulo City and in over 1,000 other cities.

In 2003, November 20th was included in the school calendar. It became a national holiday eight years later. The National Day of Zombie and Black Consciousness was instituted by Federal Law 12,519, of November 10, 2011, signed by President Dilma Rousseff.

It is a day on which to reflect upon the injustices of slavery and to celebrate the contributions that have been made to Brazilian society by citizens of 'African' descent.

History of Black Awareness Day

November 20th was chosen by a group of activists from Grupo Palmares, which held an event in 1971 at Clube Nutico Marclio Dias, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, to honour 'Zumbi', a legendary black hero and freedom fighter.

Zumbi was born inside the Quilombo of Palmares, the largest colony of escaped slaves in Brazil in 1655.

The colony not only consisted of escaped African slaves but also of native Brazilian Indians and other mixed races.

The colony had a government system that organised similarly to an African Kingdom with a King and Assembly. The King was chosen from the best warriors. "Zumbi" was chosen this way and under his leadership, the colony fought bravely for 65 years against colonisers from Portugal and Holland and was finally destroyed in 1694.

Zumbi managed to escape from the colony and many believed that he was immortal. He was finally captured on November 20th 1695. He was immediately beheaded and his head was put on public display to convince the locals he was not immortal.

Nowadays "Zumbi" is regarded as a national hero and a symbol of the struggle for freedom, though there are some dissenting voices who think Zumbi is not the right figurehead for this day as he is said to have kept slaves himself.