Keeping Brazil’s Black History in Its Tech “Future”

Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone was once the largest slave port in the Americas. As developers work to “revitalize” the area, Black activists are fighting to retain the remnants of the district’s historical significance. Currently, the construction of the technology and education hub—which directly references Silicon Valley—is happening in an abandoned warehouse in Rio’s Port Zone that spans more than 3.59 square miles. “This rediscovery marked a new era of Black memory in the city of Rio,” says Thais Matos, a Black geographer and researcher at Universidade Federal Fluminense. “Now we only have the tram.”Cais do Valongo (Valongo Wharf), an archaeological site recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.