La diaspora africaine et le Musée Historique National : bilan de près d’un demi-siècle d’expositions (1980-2020)

Abstract

This paper examines the African diaspora within the long-term exhibits on Brazilian history at the National Historical Museum (MHN) between the 1980s and 2020s. Articulating institutional sources and scientific literature, this study identified that, despite efforts to broaden the approach to the Afro-diasporic experience by means of commemorative dates, such as the centennial of 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
• Brazil