A PLACE OF MEMORY FOR AFRO-BRAZILIAN CULTURE:

the case of the Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Afro-Brasileiros (Ipeafro)

Abstract

Memory is an important tool for building a more equitable history that values the contributions of these groups to society. The Institute for Afro-Brazilian Research and Studies (Ipeafro) is an institution that acts as a decolonial memory centre for ethnic-racial relations. Therefore, we seek to answer the following question: how does the Ipeafro collection constitute a place of memory for Afro-Brazilian culture? It dialogues with the concepts of memory and decoloniality. The corpus of the research covers the material available in the collection, including texts, images and intellectual production, highlighting the trajectory and legacy of Abdias Nascimento in the process of creating Ipeafro. Through its research, studies and documents, Ipeafro seeks to decolonise thought and build a history that glimpses the perspectives and experiences of black people. In addition, Ipeafro promotes awareness-raising and socio-racial training actions, aiming to combat racism and ethnic-identity inequalities, helping, as far as it is concerned, to build a more inclusive narrative about the history of black people in Brazil, while valuing the culture and contributions of Afro-descendants to society. Ipeafro is therefore perceived as a decolonial memory house of resistance and black identity existence, and enables counter-colonial narratives about black people.