African Diaspora at the National Historical Museum: a study of exhibits between 1980 and 2020

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the African diaspora within the long-term exhibits on the history of Brazil held at the National Historical Museum (MHN) between the 1980s and 2020s. Our understanding of the African diaspora in line with Nei Lopes’ definition, in which the term refers to the forced arrival of Black Africans to be enslaved in the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries, and to the histories, memories, and heritage of their descendants. Articulating institutional sources and scientific literature, this study identified that, despite all efforts to broaden the approach to the Afro-diasporic experience by means of commemorative dates, such as the centennial of the abolition, in 1988, the topic is silenced and made invisible in the MHN’s exhibitions. Finally, the paper proposes other possibilities of reading the African diaspora on display, sharing recent experiences and pointing out new paths for the writing of history in exhibition projects developed by the institution.

KEYWORDS:
National Historical Museum; Writing of history; History of Brazil; African diaspora; Exhibits.