Thais Pinheiro runs a unique Rio de Janeiro tourism company, Conectando Territórios , or Connecting Territories. It gives guided, historical tours of Afro-Brazilian communities like quilombos – settlements founded by the descendants of slaves. “I think it’s really important to show how we exist in Brazil as black identity, because we are really strong,” says Pinheiro. “That’s why I started to study tourism, as a way to preserve that culture. It’s a way to create dialogue between people and those