A samba in the name of justice

For Rio's biggest Carnival champion, environmental awareness is the driving force behind samba. Inspired by the Earth Charter, Portela has decided that in 2026, its children's school, Filhos da Águia, will bring the theme "Masks of Justice" to Marquês de Sapucaí, which invites young people from all over Brazil to reflect on socio-environmental justice.

The kids from the century-old blue and white samba school of Oswaldo Cruz will celebrate on the avenue the 25th anniversary of the emblematic international declaration – initially discussed within the United Nations and later adopted by civil society – which brings a set of 16 principles “to guide humanity towards an environmentally sustainable future”.

The Children of the Eagle of Portela and the Earth Charter are almost the same age. Founded in 2001, a year after the document's release, the children's school wants to take advantage of the dual celebration to show the general public how environmental issues transcend ecological protection.

The theme and the avenue will also discuss some issues dear to the Portela community and many others across Brazil, such as racism, human rights, environmental violence, poverty eradication, and local economic development.

The idea of bringing this message to samba lovers came from a partnership between Portela and the Terrazul Association, a traditional non-governmental organization affiliated with Earth Charter International and one of the founders of the Earth Charter Brazil Network.

Terrazul's national coordinator, environmentalist Pedro Ivo Batista, emphasizes that children and young people from Portela have been discussing environmental racism and the historical development of the Rio de Janeiro suburb for some time, based on the Earth Charter. "It's been an opportunity to expand the cultural and historical dimension of this crucial document," he explains.

On the first Sunday of this month, the 25th anniversary of the Earth Charter was celebrated at an event held at Quadra Clara Nunes, one of the heartbeats of Rio samba and the official address of Portela in Rio.

The event also marked the conclusion of the first cycle of the project "Hope in a Better World – Youth of the Suburbs of Rio de Janeiro Fighting Environmental Racism," a partnership between the samba school, through the Paulo da Portela Workshop, and the NGO, which, with support from the Casa Socioambiental Fund, held training workshops for children and young people. The process resulted in the filming of a mini-documentary and will culminate with the Filhos da Águia parade in February of next year.

"In the case of the Rio de Janeiro suburbs, talking about the socio-environmental struggle is reestablishing connections with a songbook that already reflected environmental and social transformations even before the major events of the global socio-environmental movement," says Emanuel Antunes, coordinator of Terrazul in Rio de Janeiro.

The international document serves as a basis for discussion on the socio-environmental struggle

Antunes welcomes the partnership with Portela and emphasizes the importance of discussing this issue so directly with Rio's suburban population. "The advocacy for socio-environmental justice has deep connections in the history of Black Brazilians," he continues. "The Black population has been and continues to be, along with indigenous peoples, the most affected by environmental devastation, climate change, and the country's unequal urbanization."

The theme's launch took place at Madureira Park and, in addition to the children's school's performance, featured the planting of a brazilwood tree. In a statement, Portela stated that the Filhos da Águia parade will combine "awareness and creativity, strengthening the role of education and culture as pathways to social transformation."

The school's proposal is, through samba, to promote a collective debate that values the cultural identity of black people, allowing the "revitalization of the memory of the suburbs" and the confrontation of historical challenges imposed on this population.

Portela's drum queen and director of culture at the children's school, Bianca Monteiro says it's "exciting to see so much awareness emerging in Madureira," with children and young people talking about justice, the environment, and caring for life: "The story that Filhos da Águia will take to Sapucaí isn't just a theme: it's a message, a collective dream, a commitment to the planet."

Leonardo Fartura, Filhos da Águia's Carnival Director, states that the school believes "in the power of education, culture, and social awareness as transformative tools." The theme, he says, originated from an idea that Carnival designer Luciano Moreira had been developing for some time, during discussion groups.

For Pedro Ivo Batista, samba is the link that unites the socio-environmental struggle with the experiences, customs, and stories of the community that builds Rio's Carnival. "It gives the document even greater vibrancy," he says. "While conveying the Charter's principles and guidelines, the theme incorporates the experiences and heritage of this vibrant community."

Emanuel Antunes recalls that samba, throughout the century, was a central element in raising awareness among the Black population. "Samba and socio-environmental awareness have always gone hand in hand," he says. "This dates back to Paulo da Portela, with Cidade Mulher, through Paulinho da Viola, in Amor à Natureza, and continues to this day with this new generation of samba artists who reflect on their reality through the drumming, poetry, and community sharing that samba provides."

Published in issue no. 1375 of CartaCapital , on August 20, 2025.

This text appears in the print edition of CartaCapital under the title 'A samba in the name of justice'