Co-Director of Geographies of Injustice to Speak at Institute of Latin American Studies Online Event

Professor Ana Paulina Lee, co-director of the Geographies of Injustice: Gender and the City working group,  will be moderating a conversation with Nilce Naira Nascimento and Sergio Suiama on November 5 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM. Liberating the Sacred: Afro-Brazilian Religions, Cultural Heritage, and the Law is hosted by the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University.  Between 1889-1945, over 500 sacred objects were confiscated from Candomblé and Umbanda temples in Rio de Janeiro. For more than a century, the sacred objects were held at the building that once served as headquarters to the Department of Political and Social Order (DOPS), once the center for police administration, a prison, and a torture site, and now the headquarters for the Civil Police. In September 2020, after decades of struggle, the objects were transferred to the Museum of the Republic. This conversation revisits the history to liberate the sacred objects. Participants will discuss plans for the future of these sacred objects and address issues related to cultural belonging, law, appropriation, and heritage.