A valsa de águas-vivas: racismo e patrimônio cultural em Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais

Abstract

This research focuses on the reflection on structural racism present in Brazilian society and here as a central axis of discussion the formation of cultural heritage. It is understood that racism is a basic component of social, economic and political dynamics in Brazil and, therefore, is also present in the field of culture, protection and preservation of goods. Thus, we analyzed the construction of the preservation policy and its official organ, seeking to understand its agents as political individuals, imbued with perceptions and ideological directions specific to their time. In this sense, philosophical and scientific currents emerge and help in the understanding of the formation of heritage, since a broad capillarity of the ideas of social determinism based on the conception of race and the myth of racial democracy is perceived as a fundamental basis of the country's culture. Thus, from 1937 to the present day, it is possible to perceive how these ideas shaped the patrimony, so for a more accurate analysis, we focused on Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, given its pioneering protection and significant number of protected assets. The municipality concentrates its assets in specific parts of its urban area, guarding the memory and history of some groups and silencing so many others, which is believed to be closely linked to structural racism. Moreover, the process of registering an evidently racist manifestation contributes to the reflection on the forms that racism presents itself in society and its perception of culture.