Racial equality and the city of São Paulo – 04/18/2023 – Policies and Justice

We are not lacking in commitments to racial equality. The third article of the Constitution establishes that the federation’s objectives are to promote the well-being of all, without prejudice as to origin, race, sex, color, age or any other form of discrimination.

The Statute of Racial Equality, a law of 2010, detailed a set of rules and legal principles to guarantee the black population the realization of equal opportunities, the defense of rights and the fight against discrimination. One, among the many actions provided for in the statute, is the fight against institutional discrimination.

With the aim of promoting institutional equality, the São Paulo City Hall implemented, in 2013, a policy of municipal racial quotas for civil servants. The device guarantees that all direct and indirect public administration bodies in the municipality are obliged to grant 20% of their effective positions and professional internships to self-declared black and/or Afro-descendant people.

The city’s affirmative action policy, aligned with our national commitments, has an accountability report that has been made available annually since the enactment of the law. In terms of accountability, the City Hall of São Paulo shows that, for the most part, it has achieved its objective. Most of the bodies exceeded expectations and have already reached more than 30%, a percentage to be reached in 2025 for commissioned positions in the federal government.

The next step might be to congratulate the city hall. But it is impossible. The IBGE gives the precise number of institutional inequality, 56% of Brazilians are black. Despite the success of the municipal law, social injustice is acute and constrains celebrations.

It is notable that racial inclusion proposals do not present a more progressive, bold and structural set of objectives, as established in the 2010 statute. conditions and access. The city of São Paulo, a national showcase, having achieved its initial proposal, could pursue paths more consistent with its power. Why not agree on progressive goals with society as a whole for a more egalitarian occupation in the private sector as well? From a structural point of view, what are the actions to combat racial inequality in access to and learning in basic education?

The list of social rights is long and interconnected, specific affirmative actions are commendable, but alone they will not achieve the structural realization of equal opportunities. We can already commit to a broader plan, as provided for in the bylaws. The city’s coat of arms reads “I’m not driven, I lead”. Lead us, São Paulo, to a truly more egalitarian city. Twenty or thirty percent for functionalism is just the beginning.

The editor, Michael França, asks each participant of the space “Politics and Justice” of the Sheet suggest a song to the readers. In this text, the one chosen by Laura Muller Machado was “Olhos Coloridos”, by Sandra de Sá.

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