Quilombos in Brazil and the Americas: Black Resistance in Historical Perspective

Abstract

This article provides a historical overview of the struggles and organizational processes of rural black, or Afro-rural, communities in Brazil and the Americas, variably known in local nomenclatures as quilombos, mocambos, palenques, cumbes, cimarrones, and maroons. The objective is to clarify who these communities are and how they were formed in Brazil and the Americas. The study is based on research with rural black community leaders, their accounts, and their experience. It shows that processes of resistance to slavery and oppression induced the formation of Afro-rural communities, leading to their recognition in national constitutions.