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Power & Majorities (by Dania 4/1)
What does being of the majority in a country mean? There is a symbolic significance with being part of the majority. At times it can mean power, yet for black Brazilians this is not the case. In our various meetings, organizations make sure to note that black Brazilians are the majority and yet they do not have access to the power being in the majority can imply. Most of the times when I have asked activists why they think this is, most respond that racism is to blame, and particularly a racism that has been so pervasive that it has affected the self-image of black Brazilians. There are identity issues even including constantly negotiating identity. The majority respond that the best way to overcome this issue is through education and that is why the affirmative action measures in place are so important to the black movement in Brazil.
Yet, even within this group there are differences. Not only are blacks at the bottom of the social ladder in Brazil but black women are below black men. They have even less access to power. When it comes to jobs they are worse off, discriminated against in higher rates. When it comes adequate healthcare they are in a worse off, getting a lower standard of care than white brazilian women during doctor visits. (Visit the Geledes website for a detailed research study report: http://www.geledes.org.br/saude/saude.html). Even when it comes to personal relationships they are worse off, often seen only as sexual objects but not “marriage material”. There are some organizations and women in the movement that seek to draw attention to this specific issue and are framing their fight against racism from the perspective of the struggles of a black woman in Brazil. We had the opportunity to meet with the Geledes Group and the community leader Claudete Alves.
(Meeting with Geledes in Sao Paulo)
Claudete Alves (http://www.claudetealves.com/index.php?id_pagina=55&f=) is an ex-council woman from Sao Paulo and currently a professor and community activist organizer, who is one of the few black women in the Brazilian political scene. Mrs. Alves had a lot of insight as to some of the obstacles facing the black movement in Brazil. Particularly because she has experienced them in her political career. One obstacle Mrs. Alves mentioned is a lack of solidarity between men and women in the movement, “the black man in Brazil has sold out, consciously or unconsciously” she told us. Currently she is trying to conduct research to try and find out how racism places black women at the bottom of the dating market in Brazil. She finds this to be especially true young middle class women who she notes you can find always alone in theatres and restaurants. Mrs. Alves sees this as the remnants of a whitening project that categorizes black women as un-desireable. She believes this can only change with the help and support of the black Brazilian man. Ultimately Mrs. Alves thinks blacks in Brazil have to be united to face discrimination and overcome it.
( Meeting with Claudete Alves at her office in Sao Paulo)
