New Forms of Nationalism and the Denial of History [Lecture]
July 10, 2026
Join us for this lecture with Orland Serrano (Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History) and Marta Lança (Bualal Magazine) at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon on July 10th, 2026. The lecture is free and open to the public and will be presented in both English and Portuguese.
“In this lecture, Orlando Serrano and Marta Lança will discuss the rise of nationalist movements and their role in denying the historical record that challenges celebratory views of the past.
In recent years, we have witnessed a growing polarisation and radicalization of the political and public debate on history, which makes it impossible to reach a common understanding of the past, trivializes verbal and physical violence, and legitimizes the use of force against views that differ from those deemed normative.
These forms of extremism are often accompanied by nationalist views that champion celebratory historical narratives which erase or deny certain episodes of the past. This is the case with Holocaust denial, the trivialisation of the history of the transatlantic slave trade, or the celebration of the ‘civilising mission’ of European colonial empires.
Although these distorted views of the past are nothing new in the public sphere, their dissemination has accelerated due to social media. As a result, they are increasingly being mobilized to legitimize certain political discourses, legislative proposals and, in extreme cases, violent initiatives that undermine democratic institutions and democracy itself.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Slave Wrecks Project invite Orlando Serrano (Smithsonian Museum of American History) and Marta Lança (Buala) for a conversation that crosses the boundaries between American and Portuguese realities, and which will reflect on the emergence of new forms of nationalism that call into question rights long considered to be firmly established in Western democratic societies.” – Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Speakers
Orlando Serrano
Head of PK-12 Learning at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH). He supports and develops informal educational and leadership experiences for students, professional development workshops for educators, and curriculum content. He is a founding member of The Center for Restorative History at NMAH. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Museum Education Roundtable, where he serves as Co-Chair of the Editorial Team that manages the Journal of Museum Education. PhD in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California.
Marta Lança
Writer, editor, translator and cultural programmer. Founder and editorial director of BUALA, a platform dedicated to contemporary cultures of the Global South and Afro-diasporic practices; her work brings together critical thinking, colonial memory and the arts. She contributes regularly to magazines, newspapers and academic projects. Her work lies at the intersection of culture, politics and decolonial practices. She has translated key authors such as Achille Mbembe and FelwineSarr into Portuguese. She holds a degree in Portuguese Studies from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences (FCSH) at the New University of Lisbon.