Afroturismo e paisagem: a caminhada Juiz de Fora negra

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how afroturismo (Afrotourism) functions as a possibility of reading and interpreting the landscape, through the case of the Caminhada Juiz de Fora Negra (CJFN), a walking tour conducted in the downtown area of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The research draws on discussions within Cultural Geography, particularly the concept of Landscape as an analytical category for understanding space. Here, landscape is approached as a symbolic and socially mediated construction, enabling an analysis of how the CJFN, as a touristic experience, can challenge dominant narratives and offer an alternative manner of understanding urban space and, consequently, the landscape itself. From an Afrocentric perspective, landscape is not seen as a neutral backdrop, but rather as a contested field of narratives, memories, and meanings—many of which have been silenced by colonial and Eurocentric logics that have long shaped and continue to influence Brazil. Afrotourism, however, acts in resistance to this silencing. The methodology combines participant observation in two editions of the CJFN (throughout 2025), semi-structured interviews with the three creators of the initiative, and online questionnaires answered by twenty-five participants of the tour. The CJFN is understood not only as a touristic product, but also as a political and affirmative practice of Black presence—an invitation for participants to see Juiz de Fora through an Afrocentric lens. Qualitative analysis of the data shows that the discursive practices adopted during the tour, presents and promotes afroinscrições (Black inscriptions), influencing participants’ perceptions of the landscape and resignifying the meanings attributed to the visited places. Most survey respondents agreed that the walk altered their perception of Juiz de Fora’s landscape in some way. The interviews indicate that the CJFN produces subjective impacts on both visitors and guides: political awarenessis heightened, and emotional and symbolic bonds with the landscape are reinforced. These findings support the construction of an epistemological framework that serves Black communities. The initiative demonstrates that tourism can be a fertile ground forstrengthening collective Black identities while revealing layers of the landscape composed of silenced or invisible heritages. Thus, this work reaffirms Afrotourism as a form of re-existence — a way of reinscribing Black presences, memories, and imaginaries into the landscape.