The 8th edition of the Blackness in Focus Forum, at the Botanical Garden Museum, features a discussion on ancestral knowledge of herbs

On Monday, May 4, at 2:00 p.m., in the Multipurpose Room of the Botanical Garden Museum, another edition of the Blackness in Focus Forum will take place, with the theme “Ancestral knowledge and uses of liturgical, culinary, and medicinal herbs.” Free and open to the public, the event brings together Ìyálórìsà Mãe Celina de Xangô and journalist Emerson Menezes to share knowledge and experiences spanning spirituality, culture, and traditional practices related to plants. The discussion will be moderated by researcher Viviane Stern da Fonseca Kruel, who oversees the Ethnobotany Collection and the Thematic Collection of Medicinal Plants at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden.

The lecture invites the public to recognize herbs as central elements in the construction of Afro-Brazilian knowledge, which intertwines care, food, religiosity, and memory. In dialogue with the field of botany, the event broadens ways of understanding the relationship between people and plants, valuing knowledge passed down through generations and often rendered invisible in institutional narratives.

Drawing on diverse backgrounds, the guests will address the uses and meanings of herbs in liturgical, everyday, and community contexts, highlighting their importance as cultural heritage and an instrument of resistance. The Forum thus offers a space for listening and exchange, bringing together science, tradition, and ancestral practices.

Mãe Celina de Xangô is an Ìyálórìsà, consultant, cultural manager, and artist. She is part of an art exhibition circuit featuring projects that form a series of discussions on the importance of herbs, healing, the leadership of Black women, and ancestry, all set against the historical backdrop of Valongo Wharf. She also works in audiovisual and film production on programs and films that present Rio de Janeiro’s port region as a place of memory, historical erasures, Blackness, spirituality, and ancestral wisdom.

Emerson Menezes is a journalist and holds a master’s degree in Cultural Heritage from PPGPAT/COC/Fiocruz. He chairs the Sal-Laje Institute, an NGO that offers black-pedagogical tutoring classes for children and adolescents in Morro do Salgueiro, in Tijuca. He is a member of the Erveiras e Erveiros do Salgueiro collective and the EWE Study Group on Popular Knowledge at IdeiaSUS/Fiocruz. He has been the executive coordinator of the Caxambu do Salgueiro Cultural Group since 2016, and is one of the leaders responsible for its educational initiatives, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Brazil. He is also a member of Cozinha das Tradições, where he has served since 2024 as a spokesperson for the collective of Mestras and Mestres of Rio de Janeiro.

As part of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden’s institutional agenda dedicated to discussions on memory, heritage, diversity, and equity, the Blackness in Focus Forum strengthens the dialogue between science, history, and society and reaffirms the institution’s commitment to educational and cultural initiatives aimed at recognizing African and Afro-diasporic contributions to the formation of Brazil.

The Botanical Garden Museum is sponsored by Shell Brazil, through the Federal Culture Incentive Law, and managed by idg – Institute for Development and Management. Opened in March 2024, the space presents to the public, through exhibitions, interactive content, and cultural programming, the pioneering work of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute in advancing knowledge and conservation of Brazilian flora.

"Negritude em Foco'' Forum

8th edition – Ancestral knowledge and uses of liturgical, culinary, and medicinal herbs

Date: Monday, May 4

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Multipurpose Room of the Botanical Garden Museum – 1st floor

Address: Rua Jardim Botânico, 1008 – Jardim Botânico

Live stream on the JBRJ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/JardimBotanicodoRiodeJaneiro