In Poetic Memory of Zumbi’s Palmares and Abdias do Nascimento’s Quilombismo. In Homage to Abdias do Nascimento (1914-2011)

Abstract

Modern urban formations of the Arts (such as the literary published phenomenon known as Cadernos negros) and activism have roots in the Zumbi-Palmares legacy. Quilombismo, created by Abdias do Nascimento, serves to explain this experience. A contemporary philosophy of identity and nationhood, Quilombismo mirrors Negritude, embracing transformations that erode injustice and inequality. It emerged as a product of Nascimento’s commitment to politics, the Black Movement, literature, and theater. He envisioned his art, speeches, essays, and activism as part of the global anti-racist democratization; his writings reveal influences from Pan-Africanism and a deep commitment to Afro-Brazil. The elevation of quilombo from maroonage and black rural communities to the level of philosophy has provided impetus to date, as literature and activism maintain momentum in an era of diversity. Moving beyond fleeing black bodies in search of Palmares, an image frozen in time, this thinker has provoked dynamic perceptions of cultural affirmation, ensuring the survival of values associated with Zumbi’s Palmares.