Founded in 1871, the Docas Pedro II warehouse is a hallmark of Brazilian history and of the black movement. The building is one of the major works of engineer and abolitionist André Rebouças (1838-1898) and was the first warehouse in Rio’s port to store grain brought by ships docked in the area. As though it weren’t enough just being a black head engineer at the time, Rebouças made sure that no slave worked on the project, a rare demand at the time.
For the construction, the engineer thought of mechanisms and devices which would facilitate the arrival of the commodities to the wharf, “so that they could be received there by strong cranes which will deposit them immediately on the ships’ decks, which will bring them to the furthest countries.”
Since 2000, the area has been occupied by the Citizens’ Action Committee, which uses only 10% of the 14 thousand square meter space, to hold workshops and seminars. Since 2014, there have been debates about how to better use the space. It was eventually assessed for a museum dedicated to the memory of slavery.