Brazilian Judiciary projects recover history of enslaved people

The Brazilian National Council of Justice (CNJ) is launching a series of webinars to present projects aimed at recovering the historical memory of enslaved people in Brazil. These initiatives were recognized with the 2026 CNJ Judiciary Memory Award.

Key projects include ‘Derradeiras Vontades’, which transcribes 18th and 19th-century testaments from enslaved individuals in Maranhão into contemporary Portuguese to reconstruct their personal narratives. Another award-winning initiative, ‘Arquivos Judiciais da Escravidão no Vale do Paraíba Fluminense’, mapped judicial processes regarding slavery and freedom in the municipalities of Piraí and Rio Claro.

Additionally, the Federal Justice Council developed ‘Valongo: Justiça pela Memória do Cais’, a project focused on the history of the Cais do Valongo archaeological site in Rio de Janeiro. This project utilizes illustrated books, multimedia portals, podcasts, and educational content to preserve the site's history.