Blacks and Racism in Brazil (1950-1970): Discourses, Scientific Research and Norms

Abstract

The racial question in Brazil is highly complex, as different racial groups have not enjoyed the same rights and privileges. Between 1950 and 1970, some Black activist groups raised their voices against all forms of racism and against the discourse of racial harmony promoted by the Brazilian elite. Their rejection of this dominant discourse paved the way for the creation of research groups and contributed to the publication of new laws intended to facilitate racial equality. Nevertheless, the lived conditions of Black people did not substantially change. This study uses a historical method based on documentary traces, including newspapers such as Quilombo and Le Monde diplomatique, memoirs by contemporaries, legal texts from 1950 to 1970, and websites of institutions working on racial issues.