RaceinBrazil

Affirmingadivide

BlackBraziliansaremuchworseoff
thantheyshouldbe.Butwhatisthebest
waytoremedythat?
Jan28th2012|RIODEJANEIRO|fromtheprintedition

Theshadowofthepast
INAPRIL2010,aspartofaschemetobeautifytherundownportnearthecentreofRiodeJaneirofor
the2016Olympicgames,workerswerereplacingthedrainagesysteminashabbysquarewhenthey
foundsomeoldcans.Thecitycalledinarchaeologists,whoseexcavationsunearthedtheruinsof
Valongo,onceBrazilsmainlandingstageforAfricanslaves.

From1811to1843around500,000slavesarrivedthere,accordingtoTniaAndradeLima,thehead
archaeologist.Valongowasacomplex,includingwarehouseswhereslavesweresoldandacemetery.
Hundredsofplasticbags,storedinshippingcontainersparkedonacornerofthesite,holdpersonal
objectslostorhiddenbytheslaves,ortakenfromthem.Theyincludedelicatebraceletsandrings
wovenfromvegetablefibre;lumpsofamethystandstonesusedinAfricanworship;andcowrieshells,
acommoncurrencyinAfrica.
Inthissection

Affirmingadivide

Asurprisingsafehaven

Goinggently

Reprints
Relatedtopics

UnitedStates

Brazil

Racerelations

RiodeJaneiro

Socialissues

ItisapoignantreminderofthescaleanddurationoftheslavetradetoBrazil.Ofthe10.7mAfrican
slavesshippedacrosstheAtlanticbetweenthe16thand19thcenturies,4.9mlandedthere.Fewerthan
400,000wenttotheUnitedStates.BrazilwasthelastcountryintheAmericastoabolishslavery,in
1888.
Brazilhaslongseemedtowanttoforgetthishistory.In1843Valongowaspavedoverbyagrander
docktowelcomeaBourbonprincesswhocametomarryPedroII,thecountrys19thcenturyemperor.
Thestonecolumnrisingfromthesquarecommemoratestheempress,nottheslaves.Nowthecity
planstomakeValongoanopenairmuseumofslaveryandtheAfricandiaspora.Ourworkistogive
greatervisibilitytotheblackcommunityanditsancestors,saysMsAndradeLima.
ThisprojectisasmallexampleofamuchbroaderreevaluationofraceinBrazil.Thepervasivenessof
slavery,thelatenessofitsabolition,andthefactthatnothingwasdonetoturnformerslavesinto
citizensallcombinedtohaveaprofoundimpactonBraziliansociety.Theyarereasonsfortheextreme
socioeconomicinequalitythatstillscarsthecountrytoday.
Neitherseparatenorequal
Inthe2010censussome51%ofBraziliansdefinedthemselvesasblackorbrown.Onaverage,the
incomeofwhitesisslightlymorethandoublethatofblackorbrownBrazilians,accordingtoIPEA,a
governmentlinkedthinktank.Itfindsthatblacksarerelativelydisadvantagedintheirlevelof
educationandintheiraccesstohealthandotherservices.Forexample,morethanhalfthepeoplein
RiodeJaneirosfavelas(slums)areblack.Thecomparablefigureinthecitysricherdistrictsisjust
7%.

Brazilianshavelongarguedthatblacksarepooronlybecausetheyareatthebottomofthesocial
pyramidinotherwords,thatsocietyisstratifiedbyclass,notrace.Butagrowingnumberdisagree.
Theseclamorousdifferencescanonlybeexplainedbyracism,accordingtoMrioTheodoroofthe
federalgovernmentssecretariatforracialequality.Inapassionateandsometimesangrydebate,black
Brazilianactivistsinsistthatslaveryslegacyofinjusticeandinequalitycanonlybereversedby
affirmativeactionpolicies,ofthekindfoundintheUnitedStates.
TheiropponentsarguethatthehistoryofracerelationsinBrazilisverydifferent,andthatsuchpolicies
riskcreatingnewracialproblems.UnlikeintheUnitedStates,slaveryinBrazilnevermeant
segregation.Mixingwasthenorm,andBrazilhadmanymorefreeblacks.Theresultisaspectrumof
skincolourratherthanadichotomy.
FewthesedaysstillcallBrazilaracialdemocracy.AsAntonioRiserio,asociologistfromBahia,put
itinarecentbook:ItsclearthatracismexistsintheUS.ItsclearthatracismexistsinBrazil.But
theyaredifferentkindsofracism.InBrazil,heargues,racismisveiledandshamefaced,notopenor
institutional.BrazilhasneverhadanythingliketheKuKluxKlan,orthebanoninterracialmarriage
imposedin17Americanstatesuntil1967.
ImportingAmericanstyleaffirmativeactionrisksforcingBrazilianstoplacethemselvesinstrictracial
categoriesratherthansomewherealongaspectrum,saysPeterFry,aBritishborn,naturalised
Braziliananthropologist.HavingworkedinsouthernAfrica,hesaysthatBrazilsavoidanceofthe
crystallisingofraceasamarkerofidentityisabigadvantageincreatingademocraticsociety.
Butfortheproponentsofaffirmativeaction,theveiledqualityofBrazilianracismexplainswhyracial
stratificationhasbeenignoredforsolong.InBrazilyouhaveaninvisibleenemy.Nobodysracist.
Butwhenyourdaughtergoesoutwithablack,thingschange,saysIvanirdosSantos,ablackactivist
inRiodeJaneiro.Ifblackandwhiteyouthswithequalqualificationsapplytobeashopassistantina
Riomall,thewhitewillgetthejob,headds.
Thedebateoveraffirmativeactionsplitsbothleftandright.ThegovernmentsofDilmaRousseff,the
president,andofhertwopredecessors,LuizIncioLuladaSilvaandFernandoHenriqueCardoso,
haveallsupportedsuchpolicies.Buttheyhavemovedcautiously.Sofarthemainbattlegroundhas
beeninuniversities.Since2001morethan70publicuniversitieshaveintroducedracialadmissions
quotas.InRiodeJaneirosstateuniversities,20%ofplacesaresetasideforblackstudentswhopass
theentranceexam.Another25%arereservedforasocialquotaofpupilsfromstateschoolswhose
parentsincomeislessthantwicetheminimumwagewhoareoftenblack.Abigfederalprogramme
awardsgrantstoblackandbrownstudentsatprivateuniversities.
Thesemeasuresarestartingtomakeadifference.Althoughonly6.3%ofblack18to24yearolds
wereinhighereducationin2006,thatwasdoubletheproportionin2001,accordingtoIPEA.(The
figuresforwhiteswere19.2%in2006,comparedwith14.1%in2001).Wereveryhappy,becausein
thepastfiveyearsweveplacedmoreblacksinuniversitiesthanintheprevious500years,saysFrei
DavidRaimundodosSantos,aFranciscanfriarwhorunsEducafro,acharitythatholdsuniversity
entranceclassesinpoorareas.TodaytheresarevolutioninBrazil.
OneofitsbeneficiariesisCarolinaBrasdaSilva,ayoungblackwomanwhosemotherwasacleaner.
AsateenagershelivedforawhileonthestreetsofSoPaulo.Butsheisnowinherfirstyearofsocial
sciencesatRiosCatholicUniversity,onafullgrant.SomeoftheotherstudentssaidWhatareyou
doinghere?Butitsgettingbetter,shesays.Shewantstostudylawandbecomeapublicprosecutor.
AcademicsfromsomeofBrazilsbestuniversitieshaveledacampaignagainstquotas.Theyargue
firstlythataffirmativeactionstartswithanactofracism:thedivisionofarainbownationintoarbitrary
colourcategories.AssigningracesinBrazilisnotalwaysaseasyastheactivistsclaim.In2007oneof
twoidenticaltwinswhobothappliedtoentertheUniversityofBrasliawasclassifiedasblack,the
otheraswhite.Allthisriskscreatingracialresentment.Secondly,opponentssayaffirmativeaction

underminesequalityofopportunityandmeritocracyfragileconceptsinBrazil,whereprivilege,
nepotismandcontactshavelongbeenroutestoadvancement.
Proponentsofaffirmativeactionsaytheseargumentssanctifyanunjuststatusquo.Andformally
meritocraticuniversityentranceexamshavenotguaranteedequalityofopportunity.AstudybyCarlos
AntonioCostaRibeiro,asociologistattheStateUniversityofRiodeJaneiro,foundthatthefactors
mostcloselycorrelatedtoattendinguniversityarehavingrichparentsandstudyinginprivateschool.
Inpractice,manyofthefearssurroundinguniversityquotashavenotbeenborneout.Thoughstill
preliminary,studiestendtoshowthatcotistas,astheyareknown,haveperformedacademicallyaswell
asorbetterthantheirpeers.Thatmaybebecausetheyhavereplacedweakerwhitestudentswhogot
inmerelybecausetheyhadthemoneytopreparefortheexam.
NelsondoValleSilva,asociologistattheFederalUniversityofRiodeJaneiro,saysthatthebacklash
againstquotaswouldhavebeenevenstrongerifaccesstouniversitieswerenotgrowingsofast.For
now,almosteveryonewhopassestheexamgetsinsomewhere.Italsohelps,hesays,thatmany
universitieshaveadoptedlesscontroversialsocialquotas.MrFryagreesthataffirmativeactionhas
becomeafaitaccompli.Heattributesthedecliningresistancetoguilt,indifferenceandthefearof
beingaccusedofracism.
Thebattleforjobs
Forblackactivists,thenexttargetisthelabourmarket.Asablackman,whenIgoforajobIstart
fromadisadvantage,saysMrTheodoro.HenotesthattheUnitedStates,whichisonly12%black,has
ablackpresidentandnumerousblackpoliticiansandmillionaires.InBrazil,incontrast,wehave
nobody.Thatisnotquitetrue:apartfromfootballersandsingers,Brazilhasablacksupremecourt
justice(appointedbyLula)andseniormilitaryandpoliceofficers.Buttheyareexceptional.Onlyone
ofthe38membersofMsRousseffscabinetisblack(thoughtenarewomen).Standoutsidethe
adjacentheadquartersofPetrobras,thestateoilcompany,andtheNationalDevelopmentBankinRio
atlunchtime,andallthemanagersarewhiteandthecleanersareblack,saysFreiDavid.

Theshadowofthepast
Someprivatesectorbodiesarestartingtoespouseracialdiversityinrecruitment.Thestateandcityof
RiodeJaneirohavebothpassedlawsreserving20%ofpostsincivilserviceexamsforblacks,though
theyareyettobeimplemented.Ifunemploymentrisesfromtodaysrecordlow,jobquotasarelikelyto
createevenmorecontroversythanuniversityentrancehas.
Whatstandsoutfromadecadeofdebateaboutaffirmativeactionisthatitisbeingimplementedina
veryBrazilianway.Eachuniversityhastakenitsowndecisions.Thefederalgovernmenthastriedto
promotethepolicy,butnotimposeit.Thesupremecourtissittingonthreecasesaddressingracial
quotas.Somelawyerssuspectitisdeliberatelydraggingitsheelsinthehopethatsocietycansortthe
issueout.
Societyitselfisindeedchangingfast.Manyofthe30mBrazilianswhohaveleftpovertyoverthepast
decadeareblack.Businessesaretakingnote:manymorecosmeticsareaimedatblacks,forexample.
ThemixofpassengersoninternalflightsnowbearssomeresemblancetoBrazil,ratherthan
Scandinavia.Untilrecently,theonlyblackactorsintelevisionsoapoperasplayedmaids;nowone
Globosoaphasablackmalelead.Muchofthismighthavehappenedwithoutaffirmativeaction.
ThequestionfacingBraziliswhetherthebestwaytorepairthelegacyofslaveryistogiveextrarights
todarkerskinnedBrazilians.Yes,saythegovernmentandtheblackmovement.Giventhepersistence
ofracialdisadvantagethatisunderstandable.
Buttheapproachcarriesclearrisks.UntiltheinvasionofAmericanacademicideas,mostBrazilians
thoughtthattheircountrysracialrainbowwasamongitsmainassets.Theywerenotwhollywrong.
MrdoValleSilva,aspecialistinsocialmobility,findsthatraceaffectslifechancesinBrazilbutdoes
notdeterminethem.Andifpositivediscriminationbecomespermanent,apubliclyfundedindustryof
entitlementmaygrowuptoentrenchitandtopromotedivisiveracialpolitics.

Theremaybebetterwaystoestablishgenuineequalityofopportunityandrights.Brazilhashadanti
discriminationlegislationsincethe1950s.The1988constitutionmadebothracialabuseandracism
crimes.Buttherehavebeenrelativelyfewprosecutions.Thatispartlybecauseofracisminthe
judiciary.Butitisalsobecausejudgesandprosecutorsthinkthepenaltiesaretooharsh:anyone
accusedofracismmustbeheldinjailbothbeforeandafterconviction.AndinRiodeJaneirotheblack
movementspreferenceforaffirmativeactionledthestategovernmenttoloseinterestinmeasures
aimedatattackingracialprejudice,accordingtoastudybyFabianoDiasMonteiro,whoranthestates
antiracisthelplinebeforeitwasscrappedin2007.
Thehardesttaskistochangeattitudes.ManyBrazilianssimplyassumeblacksbelongatthebottomof
thepile.Supportersofaffirmativeactionarerighttosaythatthecountryturneditsbackonthe
problem.ButAmericanstylepoliciesmightnotbethewaytocombatBrazilsspecificformsof
racism.Acombinationofstrongerlegalactionagainstdiscriminationandquotasforsocialclassin
highereducationtocompensateforweakpublicschoolsmayworkbetter.