Before Africans became enslaved, they were experts in many fields, contributing to human history with important inventions that range from the telescope to setting the basis of cubism in art. It should be in school books, but it is not. That’s why Zumbi dos Palmares College, the only black college in Brazil, brings light to the cultural and historical legacy of black people.

Unveiling this side of history to bring pride and knowledge to Afro-descendants, to promote a historical correction, and to spread hidden stories about black people’s cultural legacy to the spotlight.
 
Fifteen thousand hours of work of African-Brazilian researchers, historians, journalists, teachers, and people involved in black militancy turned into a 200-page book that brings black people’s cultural and historical legacy into the spotlight. The book includes black boxes in translucent tracing paper that reveal important historical information and names of black heroes when the pages are turned over.

The map of Palmares area* was used to form every image in the book through generative design. A code was developed to transform the map into tiny particles that were put together to create the image, inserting the DNA of black history in every illustration. Also, each chapter of the book became a subject and integrated into the syllabus of different college grades.

“After 300 years of slavery in Brazil, it is urgent to change the mindset that permeates a hidden past fundamental to regain self-esteem and correct crucial historical omissions that were the basis of racism in Brazil. We chose this path, through education, because we believe that is the right start. Correcting the past, we can create a different future with more justice and opportunities.”

The Palmares quilombo was the most significant symbol of resistance to slavery in the history of Brazil and was established towards the end of the 16th century, on the border of the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco. There, under the leadership of Zumbi dos Palmares, the quilombo received some 20,000 runaway slaves.
 
AWARDS 
CANNES LIONS 2019
GOLD PRINT&PUBLISHING INDUSTRY CRAFT,
SHORTLIST DESIGN
SILVER AND BRONZE CREATIVE CLUB SAO PAULO
DESIGN AND DIRECT