III Black Awareness Week 2025 - Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden celebrates diversity, culture, and creative economy with free programming

Between November 24 and 28, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ) will hold the third edition of Black Awareness Week, an event that is part of the institution's agenda for equity, inclusion, and diversity.

With the theme “Diversity, Culture, and Creative Economy,” the free program includes theater, audiovisual exhibitions, lectures, and workshops that promote reflection on society, research, ecology, ancestral knowledge, art, and the creative economy. The activities will take place at Galpão das Artes (Rua Jardim Botânico, 1008), from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Organized by the Center for Social and Environmental Responsibility in partnership with the Affirmative Action Working Group, the initiative reinforces the JBRJ's commitment to valuing Afro-Brazilian culture and promoting a critical and analytical view of the world and structures in which we are immersed.

- Black Awareness Week is an initiative of the Socio-Environmental Responsibility Center of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, now in its third edition, but for the first time open to the general public. From now on, it will be part of the Garden's official calendar of events as one of the institution's Affirmative Action Plan initiatives and reinforces the institutional commitment to building a more just, diverse, and inclusive society. The Plan is aligned with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change's agenda, which discusses gender, race, diversity, and inclusion, says Deborah Tavares Marinho, coordinator of the JBRJ's Center for Social and Environmental Responsibility.

The event is part of the Social Responsibility and Cultural Programming project sponsored by Light, the State Government, and the Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy, through the Culture Incentive Law, with the support of Salvatore and the JBRJ.

III Black Awareness Week: Diversity, Culture, and Creative Economy
Date: November 24 to 28, 2025.
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Galpão das Artes — Rua Jardim Botânico, 1008, Rio de Janeiro.
Admission: Free, no registration required.
Activities subject to space availability.

Organized by: Salvatore Eventos, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, and the Federal Government.

Sponsored by: Light, Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy, and the Rio de Janeiro State Government.

PROGRAM

November 24 (Monday)

Opening: Sergio Besserman Vianna, president of JBRJ
Time: 10 a.m.
(Exclusive for guests/internal audience)

Opening to the public

Lecture: “November 20,” with Lorena Tato.
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Chat: “Literacy on social media,” with Arapê Malik
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

November 25 (Tuesday)

Cinema: Screening of the film Kasa Branca, by Luciano Vidigal
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Workshop: Braids beyond aesthetics
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Lecture: “The importance of black memory and culture for the construction of future social perspectives,” with Alessandra Pio.
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

November 26 (Wednesday)

Presentation: “The origin of tradition: the baobab tree, Ubuntu, and umbigadas,” with Cândida Lopes and Kaio Ventura
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Location: Memorial das Mãos Negras
(Activity exclusively for JBRJ staff)

Workshop: Roots of Ancestry
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Lecture: Breaking down barriers to diversity in science: From universities to research centers, with Piatã Marques.
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

November 27 (Thursday)

Workshop: Adinkra stencil printing
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Lecture: “Activism before activism and the right to be beautiful,” with André Gabeh
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Lecture: “Protagonists,” with Triscila Oliveira
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

November 28 (Friday)

Lecture: “History in comics: superheroes beyond their powers,” with Diego Rogério
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Workshop: Foot baths: Ancestral knowledge of herbs and salts
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Lecture: “Eco and Narciso by Mestre Valentim: racial allegory and the protagonism of black artists” with Deivid Valério
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Class and dance: The charm of charm, with the Consciência Charme project
Time: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.