Revelryatthedocks:portworkersandRioCarnival

Beyond the celebration itself, carnival provided opportunities for worker organization, and the carnival clubs of the early twentieth century are good examples of this. In the case of the workers at the port docks and the city's port district — mostly Black people and other marginalized members of society — carnival organizations helped many recognize themselves as part of the same social group. There were many forms of worker association and varied social identities, but this did not prevent the existence of a common, shared class identity. In this sense, the group that stood out the most was that of the port stevedores, who knew how to use recreational organizations as a form of resistance in an exclusionary city.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a crowd of people in motion. The image shows a group of individuals walking together, arms raised, holding small white objects in their hands. The participants are arranged in a horizontal formation, with most of them looking forward. The scene appears to be from a festive event, possibly related to Carnival, given the context provided.

From within carnival organizations came countless sambistas who worked as dockworkers and gained prestige and musical renown. They were workers, and they used their jobs to secure social legitimacy. In the early 20th century, not having a job was punishable by law, since the 1890 Penal Code provided for 15 to 30 days of imprisonment for those who committed the "crime of vagrancy." Thus, having a steady job, beyond ensuring a family's livelihood, was a way of guaranteeing safety from the State's police forces, which persecuted the poorest and most marginalized. Carnival associations were a breath of relief in this context of exclusion and repression.

Image description: The image shows an information plaque mounted on a blue stone wall. The plaque is rectangular with golden edges and a dark brown background. At the top, "PEDRA DO SAL" is written in white letters. Below, there is an explanatory text, also in white, about the local history related to the Pedra do Sal. At the bottom, "SEC. MUN. DE CULTURA, TURISMO E ESPORTES" and "DEP. GERAL DE PATRIMÔNIO CULTURAL" are mentioned.

Even so, the ranchos, clubs, and cordões organized by the Black population of the port area were viewed with suspicion by the city's police and administrative forces. Always judged by their social status and often labeled as “vagrants,” “troublemakers,” or “criminals,” port workers suffered from a series of urban reforms in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which forced many of them — until then residents of the central region — to move to the suburbs. However, this did not put an end to the existing forms of recreation; on the contrary, it allowed for the creation of new associative and resistance ties in this new geographic space of the city.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of the board of directors of a club called "Império Serrano." The members are posing in front of the club's social headquarters, located on Rua da Balaioada, in Madureira. From left to right, we see six men wearing light-colored suits. The first, on the left, has his hands crossed. In the center, there is a man wearing glasses and a darker suit. To his right, another member is also wearing glasses and a light-colored suit. Everyone appears to be in a room decorated with photos and posters on the walls.