Quebra de Xangô; religious intolerance; religious racism; violence; Afro-Brazilian religions.
In a national reading, historically the religions of African origins have been persecuted, repressed and violated. In the state of Alagoas the act of violence known as Quebra de Xangô of 1912, commited against religious groups of African origins, is rooted in the Afro-Alagoas history and culture, and found fertile soil in a society that denied the various expressions of African references. Such a violent act was conducted by a militia in response to the political
dispute that was taking place at the time and culminated in the invasion and destruction of several houses of worship of Afro-Brazilian religions in Maceió and nearby cities. Although this event may seem distant in time, the raid on the houses of worship of Afro-Brazilian religions has repercussions to this day in the history and practices of the religious groups of African origins, and also in the Afro-Alagoas history. Further, nevertheless the Quebra de
Xangô happened more than a hundred years ago, it also marked by the silence from the Alagoan intellectuals. Only in the mid-2000s there was a rediscovery of the event, which is present in the local academic production, in the artistic-cultural movements and in the speeches of the religious leaders in Maceió. In this research I approach the reverberations of Quebra de Xangô in contemporary times based on plural connections involving religious of African origins, academics and cultural groups of Afro-Alagoan expressivity, with emphasis in the city of Maceió.