A valorização das comunidades quilombolas sob a perspectiva cultural, étnica e cidadã no sertão alagoano

Abstract

The historical reparation for Afro-Brazilian descendants requires the implementation of public policies aimed at promoting citizenship. In the state of Alagoas, the quilombola communities located in the Sertão Mesoregion total 42 certified by the Palmares Cultural Foundation, with 21 of them identified in the participation of quilombola meetings in the region, regardless of their certification. Despite having one of the largest quilombola populations in the country, ranking 6th according to IBGE (2022), over 98.17% of Alagoas' quilombolas reside outside of officially recognized territories, compromising their socioeconomic development, as land is fundamental to their subsistence. The research had an exploratory nature and analyzed the Saco dos Mirandas quilombola community, located in the municipality of Mata Grande, as well as three quilombola meetings held in the Alagoas Sertão Mesoregion, in the municipalities of Poço das Trincheiras, Mata Grande, and Água Branca. During visits to the Saco dos Mirandas community, a history of ancestry stands out, identified by the relevance of institutional partnerships aimed at local development and community resistance. In the meeting held in the rural area of Poço das Trincheiras, the discussion emphasized quilombola education, while in the second meeting in Mata Grande, the importance of political participation to claim the rights of quilombola peoples was discussed. In the third meeting held in the city of Água Branca, representatives of quilombola communities were democratically chosen to participate in a Public Hearing at the Legislative Assembly of Alagoas, aiming at the certification and titling of communities and, consequently, promoting ethnic valorization in the pursuit of citizenship and the right to remain in their respective communities.