Laudelina de Campos Mello Honored at IMS

In São Paulo, Brazil, the Instituto Moreira Salles opened “Dignitude and Struggle: Laudelina de Campos Mello,” an exhibition honoring the domestic worker activist. Laudelina de Campos Mello founded the Association of Domestic Employees of Brazil in 1936, advocating for rights and cultural expression. Born in 1904 to formerly enslaved parents, she began working at age seven and later championed literacy and legal understanding for domestic workers in Campinas.

The exhibition features photographs, videos, and artwork—including pieces by and about domestic laborers—that trace her life and the history of domestic work in Brazil. Curators note that recognition of domestic work as legitimate labor was slow, only being included in Brazil’s labor laws in 2013.

While Laudelina was posthumously included in Brazil’s Book of Heroes in 2023, some curators believe her contributions have been historically undervalued due to Brazil’s colonial past and societal views on domestic labor. The exhibition also showcases contemporary figures carrying on her legacy.