O Black conscience day is celebrated on November 20th across the country, with several locations in Brazil being considered holiday. The commemorative date refers to the death of the quilombola leader Zombie dos Palmares, which occurred in 1695. The last state to adopt the date as a state holiday was São Paulo, through Law No. 17,746/2023.
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In addition to it, other states also celebrate Black Awareness Day, including: Alagoas, Amazonas, Amapá, Mato Grosso and Rio de Janeiro. According to the Palmares Cultural Foundation, around 1,260 municipalities adopt November 20th as a holiday. Among the cities that have a law that determines the holiday are the capitals Goiânia and Cuiabá.
As explained by the Fundação Cultural Palmares, the date in question is intended to make Brazilians have reflections on the value and contribution that the black community brought to the Brazil. Furthermore, the date is an important milestone to reinforce the need to combat racism and increase the visibility of
November 20th was defined as Black Awareness Day in Brazil through Federal Law No. 12,519/2011. The celebration was created in the 70s by researcher Oliveira Silveira and the Palmares de Porto Alegre Group.
On September 13, the governor of the state of São Paulo sanctioned the law that designates Black Consciousness Day as a state holiday, which was published in the Official State Gazette (DOE). Previously, the date was considered a holiday only in the capital of São Paulo. With the decision, time off becomes mandatory for all municipalities in the state.
According to the author of the project, deputy Teonilio Barba (PT), the law “is a debt owed by the Brazilian state to our black people, a historic debt that Brazil has. It is an important gesture from the governor to recognize the issue. The fight does not stop with the approval of the holiday on November 20th.”
