As part of the U.S. Government’s effort to promote equality, human rights, and social inclusion, today the Department of State launched Afro-Connections, a new exchange program for Brazilian museum and cultural heritage professionals to learn ethical and inclusive museum practices. Will promote. Community engagement that elevates the voices, history and culture of communities of African descent.
Afro-Connections was developed by the Department’s Center for Cultural Heritage in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Office of Global Affairs in the Bureau of Educational Affairs (ECA), which will implement the exchange program with . Activities will begin later this year. Afro-Connections is one of the Centre’s new Heritage Exchange initiatives – a series of projects that harness the power of exchange to connect with cultural heritage professionals and community managers around the world on priority issues affecting heritage. Afro-Connections also supports the shared goals of the Department of State-Smithsonian MOU, signed in December 2023.
This exchange will provide participants with a better understanding of how U.S. museums incorporate the history and culture of African descendants and other historically marginalized communities into national narratives. The program will expand participants’ capacity to establish new institutions and enhance the capacity of existing institutions to protect, preserve, and support African-Brazilian history and culture by fostering exchanges between Brazilian and U.S. colleagues to help embody the program’s values of sharing, dialogue, and professional development.
U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Elizabeth Frawley Bagley announced the launch of Afro-Connections today at the National Archives of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, along with Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and staff from the Cultural Heritage Center, before Brazilian government officials, curators, and scholars.
For more information about this program, please visit http://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center or contact us [email protected],
u-s-department-of-state-announces-afro-connections-a-new-cultural-heritage-exchange-initiative-that-celebrates-the-2024-bicentennial-of-u-s-brazil-diplomatic-relations-united-states-department-of
