The 6th Congress of Black Researchers of the Southeast Region (COPENE Sudeste) emerges as an essential instance of affirmation and debate. Held between September 25th and 27th at the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), the event focused on reflections on "Precious Black Gold: education, affirmative action and the fight against racism," bringing together professors and 24 students from Unicamp, 8 of whom represented the Faculty of Education (FE-Unicamp) in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, a city emblematic of Black ancestries.
COPENE takes on a broader meaning: more than just an academic congress, it becomes a space for resistance, visibility, and networking to develop strategies for Black intellectual production.
In the COPENE Southeast program, FE-Unicamp was represented by the Faculty Director, Professor Débora Jeffrey, who delivered the opening lecture of this edition, which is part of the narration in the released video. on FE-Unicamp's social media, and participated in the roundtable discussion: “Affirmative action policies and hetero-identification panels”. For the director, the meeting reaffirms the importance of recognizing and valuing the trajectories of Black researchers from the Southeast region and from different generations who daily build the present, past, and future of Brazilian education.
“We are here to share knowledge, wisdom, epistemologies, and lived and narrated histories. Copene Sudeste represents this space for encounter and continuity. Given this scenario, when we talk about the precious black gold—education, affirmative action, and the fight against racism—it is fundamental to remember that we travel millions of miles before sleeping. We don't doze off, as Cidade Negra used to say, because our ancestors made a hard and intense journey in the diaspora. Through memory and oral tradition, they educated us, prepared us, and left precious teachings. The memory and resistance present in this territory will certainly guide us through all the days to come,” stated the director.
Among the prominent voices at the event was that of Professor Elisabete Figueroa from FE-Unicamp, Associate Coordinator of the Center for Afro-Brazilian Studies (NEAB/Unicamp)., who has a trajectory of more than two decades in the COPENEs movement and highlighted the importance of the event in the training of black intellectuals during a panel held at the table with deputy Leci Brandão, from the Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous Studies Center (NEABI) of UFSCar and the Black Center of Unesp for Research and Extension (NUPE).
“I have been participating in COPENEs for about 20 years. The first one was in 2006, in Bahia, when I was still an undergraduate student, and since then, this congress has become a permanent part of my educational journey. I understand COPENE as an essential space for exchange, production, and the proposition of research on racial issues, Africanities, and Africa—a symbolic and epistemological territory from which Black thinkers in Brazil emerge,” explained Elisabete.
She also highlighted the relevance of this year's edition, COPENE Southeast, both for the content of the panels and for the connections that emerged from it.
“Also on that occasion, we held the pre-launch of the Center for Studies on the African Diaspora, which will be based at the Memorial da América Latina, with the official launch scheduled for November of this year. This initiative expresses an articulation of thoughts and research on the African diaspora, encompassing various areas of knowledge — among them, education, which is fundamental,” he highlighted.
For the event participants, the COPENEs — whether national or regional — play a decisive role in consolidating an Afrocentric and interdisciplinary thought agenda. “COPENE fulfills an essential function by bringing together, articulating, and promoting reflections based on Afro-perspectives, Africanities, and the real demands of Black populations, whether in health, education, or other vital fields of Afro-diasporic life,” reflected Professor Elisabete.
Manuela Queiroz Souza, a master's student at FE-Unicamp and educator, reported that participating in the congress meant much more than experiencing an academic event; it was a personal and transformative experience. “COPENE was important because I was able to exchange references about my research and meet new researchers who address topics related to rap battles, which helped me break free from the feeling of a 'single story'. I also met incredible people from other states, such as Maíra Neiva, organizer of the National Front of Women in Funk, with whom I discussed my work, the anti-Oruam law, and the persecution of peripheral culture,” she emphasized.
Beyond the academic impact, Manuela described the experience of being in Ouro Preto as the fulfillment of a long-held dream. "Since I was a child, I dreamed of visiting the city because of the book." The Hill of Longing"It's a children's novel about Marília and Dirceu. Being there, in that context of resistance and Black knowledge, was symbolic and unforgettable," she said.
Rupture and recreation
The COPENE Southeast was not merely symbolic resistance; concrete initiatives were articulated within it. One of the panels addressed the launch of the Center for Studies for the African Diaspora, with its headquarters planned for the Memorial da América Latina and official launch in November 2025, as announced by Elisabete Figueroa. These articulations reveal that the COPENE movement goes beyond criticism: it is also about production, planning, and institutional strengthening of Black spaces of knowledge.
COPENE Southeast demonstrates that Black intellectual production and Afro-perspectives are both a response and an alternative. In Ouro Preto, amidst memories and resistance, the struggle for an anti-racist, diverse, and inclusive education is renewed—dignified, democratic, and transformative, it does not give ground.
