Responding to racism and a lack of recognition of Quilombola communities by the Brazilian state and international entities, the Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas (CONAQ) was founded in 1995 to fight for the rights of Quilombola communities at the local, regional, and national level.

CONAQ works with more than 23 state associations and dozens of regional and local associations to protect their leaders from racial violence, defend their territory from industrial agriculture and developers, and strengthen food sovereignty strategies. CONAQ has led and facilitated conversations on racial justice with La Vía Campesina members in Brazil.