![Lost history Family stories fight erasure of black Brazil](https://cdn.magzter.com/1588175106/1709682766/articles/zy7FMmcuj1709700754206/LOST-HISTORY-FAMILY-STORIES-FIGHT-ERASURE-OF-BLACK-BRAZIL.jpg)
Cruz, 57, was always surrounded by elderly relatives, yet struggled to get them to recount stories about the people who preceded them. By contrast, Vianna has links to her grandmother’s great-grandfather, who died in 1868. There was even a painting of him hanging in the family home where Vianna, now 61, spent her holidays as a child.
Cruz is black and, she has since discovered, descended from a west African woman who was traffi cked to Brazil in the early 19th century. Vianna is white and her great-greatgreat-grandfather was an enslaver who made a fortune in coff ee.
Their stories refl ect a common pattern among Brazilian families: while European ancestry tends to be remembered and celebrated, institutionalised silence around how the African diaspora shaped the country robs its descendants of their history. Many black Brazilians feel keenly the absence of this history, yet eff orts to recover it can be the work of a lifetime.
Said Cruz: “Everyone, one day, wonders about where they come from. And in Brazil, for the black population especially, it’s something of a thorny issue .”
This story is from the March 06, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 06, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![Madueke and Palmer show there is hope for Chelsea project](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/P8-rkLqRw1724648503099/MADUEKE-AND-PALMER-SHOW-THERE-IS-HOPE-FOR-CHELSEA-PROJECT.jpg)
Madueke and Palmer show there is hope for Chelsea project
Chelsea's business planning and human resource practices may confound all but their blue-sky thinkers, but that does not preclude them providing great entertainment.
![Evolving England have youthful appeal for 'grandad' Root](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/kz07yzRzH1724648401820/EVOLVING-ENGLAND-HAVE-YOUTHFUL-APPEAL-FOR-GRANDAD-ROOT.jpg)
Evolving England have youthful appeal for 'grandad' Root
Former captain is enjoying life in the ranks as Brendon McCullum's team show they can win in a different style
![Manufacturers renew calls for UK industrial strategy](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/FN8d8tL1a1724648265694/MANUFACTURERS-RENEW-CALLS-FOR-UK-INDUSTRIAL-STRATEGY.jpg)
Manufacturers renew calls for UK industrial strategy
UK manufacturers have renewed calls on the government to urgently draft an industrial strategy that will bring in investment and fix the \"terrible\" damage caused by the Brexit deal.
!['Everyone was afraid' DRC's displaced families caught on the mpox frontline](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/KFHSYX__T1724648137999/EVERYONE-WAS-AFRAID-DRCS-DISPLACED-FAMILIES-CAUGHT-ON-THE-MPOX-FRONTLINE.jpg)
'Everyone was afraid' DRC's displaced families caught on the mpox frontline
First, liquid-filled blisters developed on threeyear-old Marceline Désiré's back.
![RFK Jr's sibling 'heartbroken' over Trump endorsement](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/AZr3iEeqb1724648083552/RFK-JRS-SIBLING-HEARTBROKEN-OVER-TRUMP-ENDORSEMENT.jpg)
RFK Jr's sibling 'heartbroken' over Trump endorsement
Max Kennedy, the brother of Robert F Kennedy Jr, has implored the public to ignore his sibling's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential election and endorse Donald Trump.
![Von der Leyen expected to miss gender target for senior EU jobs](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/BSV8QXLrn1724648021513/VON-DER-LEYEN-EXPECTED-TO-MISS-GENDER-TARGET-FOR-SENIOR-EU-JOBS.jpg)
Von der Leyen expected to miss gender target for senior EU jobs
Ursula von der Leyen is expected to miss her target of a gender-balanced European Commission, after EU governments snubbed her request to propose male and female candidates.
![Solingen stabbings suspect motivated by ideology of Islamic State, prosecutors say](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/4QzSFAZqU1724647948794/SOLINGEN-STABBINGS-SUSPECT-MOTIVATED-BY-IDEOLOGY-OF-ISLAMIC-STATE-PROSECUTORS-SAY.jpg)
Solingen stabbings suspect motivated by ideology of Islamic State, prosecutors say
Prosecutors have said the suspect arrested over a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen shares the radical ideology of the Islamic State and was acting on those beliefs when he launched his attack.
![Fear in Venezuela Maduro seeks to cement third term as 1,600 detainees languish in cells](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/U9LRHGXN91724647713629/FEAR-IN-VENEZUELA-MADURO-SEEKS-TO-CEMENT-THIRD-TERM-AS-1600-DETAINEES-LANGUISH-IN-CELLS.jpg)
Fear in Venezuela Maduro seeks to cement third term as 1,600 detainees languish in cells
Nicolás Maduro calls his political crackdown Operación Tun Tun (Operation Knock Knock) after the spine-chilling visits his security forces pay their targets.
![Women abused as children could be denied justice due to legal anomaly](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/AdWMnqdWE1724647574478/WOMEN-ABUSED-AS-CHILDREN-COULD-BE-DENIED-JUSTICE-DUE-TO-LEGAL-ANOMALY.jpg)
Women abused as children could be denied justice due to legal anomaly
Thousands of women who were sexually abused as children could be unable to obtain justice because of an anomaly in the law of England and Wales that is being challenged at the European court of human rights.
![Protection for asylum seekers in hotels needed urgently, Cooper warned](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21665/1811009/J_xPwxWaK1724647476558/PROTECTION-FOR-ASYLUM-SEEKERS-IN-HOTELS-NEEDED-URGENTLY-COOPER-WARNED.jpg)
Protection for asylum seekers in hotels needed urgently, Cooper warned
More than 50 refugee organisations have written to the home secretary calling for urgent protections to be put in place for asylum seekers living in hotels who may be at risk from further far-right attacks.