The unprecedented visit to Rio de Janeiro by the King of Angola’s largest ethnic group marked a significant milestone during Black Consciousness Month in 2023. The visit was organized to launch DiversaCom—a diversity and sustainability communications agency from Textual—in partnership with the NGO UniPeriferias, a member of its advisory board.
Valongo Wharf, located in Rio’s port district, was the primary entry point for enslaved Africans arriving in the Americas, with 60% coming from Angola. Our project—titled “Ancestral Future: History, Reparation, and Progress”—centered on revisiting these origins to discuss reparation and inclusion, highlighted by the King’s presence. The two-day agenda began with a discussion that packed the auditorium at Muhcab, located in the area known as “Little Africa.” We also took the King to Valongo Wharf and to a *quilombo*—a community established by the descendants of enslaved Angolans.
The project successfully reinforced DiversaCom’s mission by mobilizing representatives from academia, the Black movement, and corporate diversity sectors, while generating extensive coverage in both national and international media.