91�鶹������Ʒ����

The certificate ceremony for the inscription of the archival collection “Black Presence in the Archives: Luiz Gama, Architect of Freedom” in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme took place at the São Paulo State Public Archives (APESP) on May 16. The recognition highlights the collection’s contribution to the history of the struggle for freedom and justice in Brazil. On the same occasion, the exhibition “Eu, amanuense que escrevi...”, was inaugurated, visually reconstructing the identities of over 120 Africans freed by the jurist using artificial intelligence.

The Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Memory of the World Programme (MoWLACMoWLAC approved two nominations from Brazil to the Regional Register in 2024. The Luiz Gama documents and the collection “Atas do Montepio Geral de Economia dos Servidores do Estado – atual MAG Seguros – O início da seguridade social – 1835” [Minutes of the Montepio Geral de Economia dos Servidores do Estado – now MAG Seguros – The Beginning of Social Security – 1835], recognized for its historical and social significance.

The Luiz Gama collection (1830–1882) comprises invaluable historical documents, including manumission letters, legal petitions, and press articles that attest to the pivotal role of the jurist, poet, and abolitionist in the fight for the freedom of enslaved individuals in 19th-century Brazil.

This archive offers a unique testimony of the legal and intellectual resistance to slavery, while also illuminating the essential role of people of African descent in the formation of social justice in the country. Its recognition by MoWLAC underscores the historical and cultural importance of these records and reaffirms UNESCO's commitment to honoring social memory, justice, and human rights globally.

“This recognition helps expand the dissemination of Gama’s legacy, ensuring that his life and writings remain accessible to researchers and society at large. Moreover, the scattered nature of the documents related to Luiz Gama—found in newspapers and records such as the 1864 ‘Register of Emancipated Africans’—highlights the importance of this endorsement to systematize and strengthen the preservation of this collection,” said Thiago Nicodemo, Director of APESP.

The Montepio Geral de Economia dos Servidores do Estado was Brazil’s first official social security institution, established through a decree by the Regency that governed the country on behalf of young Pedro, successor to Emperor Pedro I. The entity was created with a nonprofit structure to provide support to dependents of public servants of the Empire.

The founding principles of the institution were approved on January 10, 1835, in a second-floor hall of the Paço Imperial in Rio de Janeiro, then the nation's administrative capital.

Research on the topic has not identified any other documentary collection from the same period in Latin America or the Caribbean with such detailed records. This suggests it may be the oldest known social security documentation on the continent.

The recognized archive comprises handwritten minutes from the board meetings of the Montepio dos Servidores do Estado, covering the years 1835 to 1977. This extensive collection of volumes reveals 142 years of social security history, offering a continuous and detailed account from its inception to its evolution over more than a century.

To honor Luiz Gama and the people and stories embedded within the archives, the exhibition “Eu, amanuense que escrevi...”, was launched on the same day as the MoWLAC certificate ceremony. Combining artificial intelligence, historical research, and art, the exhibition visually reconstructs the identities of more than 120 Africans freed by Gama between 1862 and 1866.

The exhibition is based on the Book of Emancipated Africans, handwritten by Luiz Gama during his tenure as a clerk at the São Paulo Criminal Court. This manuscript includes detailed descriptions—such as age, physical characteristics, and African names—of individuals who gained their freedom with Gama’s assistance.

Using these details, AI techniques generated portraits that pay tribute to and symbolically restore the faces and identities of people who had been erased from official records. These portraits are presented as modern identity cards, creating a powerful visual and emotional impact on visitors.

“This project brings visibility to people and stories within the archive that are not widely known or recognized by society. At the same time, it engages those unfamiliar with or uninterested in historical documents by showing them the real human lives behind the records. These are individuals who were enslaved, persecuted, and discriminated against. They deserve this symbolic restoration of their identities—this tribute, this recognition that they existed,” explained the APESP director.

In addition to the portraits, the exhibition features original manuscripts, reproductions of documents, and interactive panels contextualizing Luiz Gama’s legal work and his prominent role as a defender of freedom in Brazil.

Established by UNESCO in 1992, the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme aims to preserve and promote access to documentary heritage of international, national, and regional significance. The initiative fosters institutional cooperation and encourages the recognition of records essential to humanity’s collective memory.