Next to Arcos da Lapa, a landmark that attracts tourists to the center of Rio de Janeiro, Marta da Costa organizes a stall that displays dozens of fabric dolls handmade by her community. One detail: they are all black. Marta is one of the representatives of Quilombo da Rasa, in Armação dos Búzios, a city in the Lagos Region of Rio de Janeiro, and is participating in the Aquilombar Fair, this weekend.
“We are here participating in this event, promoting our art, our potential”, she tells Brazil Agencyholding one of the dolls, called jongueiras, in their hands. “She represents our jongo group”, he adds. She explains that the artisanal production of dolls is a tradition that passes from generation to generation.
In addition to being a way to sell products and earn income, Marta highlights that the fair for quilombola entrepreneurs is an opportunity to attract visitors to another activity within the traditional community.
“We are also in the community-based tourism footprint, welcoming people and telling our story, because we have places that we consider sacred to our existence. Ponta do Pai Vitório, Mangue de Pedra, Praia da Gorda. They are beautiful places.”
Paulo César dos Anjos is one of more than a thousand visitors who visited the fair this Saturday (30). He says that cultural diversity was one of the points that caught his attention the most in the place that brings together 30 exhibition stalls, space for typical cuisine, music and dance.
“It is important to reinforce, reaffirm identity, get closer to ancestral culture. I think there is an encounter not only with the historical issue of Rio de Janeiro, but with the history of black people themselves”, he said.
Paulo César dos Anjos (in black) visited the Aquilombar Fair this Saturday – Marcelo Curia/ICCE
The Aquilombar Fair, which combines Afro-Brazilian culture and entrepreneurship, is promoted by the Support Service for Micro and Small Businesses in the State of Rio de Janeiro (Sebrae Rio), in partnership with the Association of Quilombola Communities of the State of Rio de Janeiro ( Acquilerj). THE Brazilian Communication Company (EBC), of which the Brazil Agencyis one of the supporters of the initiative.
The visitor who strolls among the stalls selling typical products, such as jewelry, ornaments and costumes, has the opportunity, whether through informative leaflets, posters or in conversations with exhibitors, to learn more about the respective quilombola communities – reminiscent of the resistance of black people to slavery , which lasted until the 19th century. The fair closes the so-called Black November, a month that brings reflection on black consciousness.
Resistance
The president of Acquilerj, Bia Nunes, believes that holding the fair is a way of putting on the agenda a term that she considers is not very widespread. “You don’t hear about quilombola entrepreneurship”, he points out.
“The population does not know our communities, few have visited our communities. So we are bringing here to a tourist spot in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, the communities of Cabo Frio, Paraty, Angra dos Reis…”, she says, citing municipalities in Rio de Janeiro.
Next to a stall that sold items such as plum and bacon sweets, Bia invited people to learn about “what the quilombo produces”.
“It’s no use just saying that we are guardians of the forest. We are guardians of the forest, but we produce. Here the population will see some of this wonderful gastronomy, beauty, everything that this population produces within their community”, emphasizes the president of the association. “Quilombo exists and resists”, concludes Bia Nunes.
Quilombola entrepreneurs participate in the Aquilombar Fair, this weekend – Anderson Astor/ICCE
Quilombola reality
The 2022 Census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) revealed that Brazil has 1.3 million quilombolas spread across almost 7.7 thousand communities. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, there are 73 communities where 20,400 quilombolas live.
Complementary analyzes of the Census highlighted challenging situations. In July 2024, IBGE revealed that eight out of ten quilombolas live with precarious basic sanitation and that illiteracy is 2.7 times higher than the country average.
Last Friday (29), the federal government announced a set of actions aimed at the black population. Among them, expropriation of land to benefit quilombolas.
Entrepreneurship
Technical analyst Larissa Passos, from Sebrae Rio’s Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion management, explained to Brazil Agency that the 30 quilombola exhibitors underwent six months of training.
“This event, in fact, is the final delivery of the Raízes Empreendedores project, which sought to train exhibitors. They went through this training trail, were accompanied with workshops, lectures, consultancies related to entrepreneurial behavior and financial management”, he describes.
She emphasizes that entrepreneurship is a mechanism for social transformation. “Being able to set up your own business and, from that, generate income, having the opportunity, in fact, to be in charge of your business, getting a return on it, is one of Sebrae’s great missions. We want to transform our entrepreneurs into the true protagonists of Brazil”, he points out.
The organizers’ expectation is that the audience will surpass last year’s edition, which received 2,000 visitors over a weekend, in Praça Mauá, also in the central region of Rio.
Organizers hope that the audience for this edition of the Aquilombar Fair will surpass last year’s – Anderson Astor/ICCE
Antiracism
In addition to commercial and cultural activities, the event offers panel discussions on topics such as anti-racism and Afro-Brazilian culture. The executive manager of the Rio de Janeiro region of EBCAcácio Jacinto, participated in one of the discussion circles.
He argues that a public company has a responsibility that goes beyond simply transmitting content.
“Our mission is to be a bridge between different cultures and Brazilian society, amplifying voices that, historically, have been silenced. In this context, quilombola and black culture finds in EBC a space for recognition and appreciation. Our programming seeks to show that these stories and traditions are an essential part of the Brazilian cultural fabric”, he stated.
“One of the media’s greatest challenges is breaking stereotypes that reduce black culture to distorted and marginalized views. THE EBC invests in content that celebrates the richness of quilombola and Afro-Brazilian traditions, presenting their contributions in all spheres: art, music, cuisine, spirituality and resistance”, he adds.
Service
On Sunday, the Aquilombar Fair is open to the public from 10am to 5pm. Entry is free. One of the closing attractions will be the Quilombo do Grotão samba circle, starting at 4pm.
