The struggle of decades in individual and collective efforts to combat racism, prejudice and discrimination, still rooted in society, were highlighted during a special session of the Senate that celebrated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, this Monday (20) . The date, March 21, defined by the United Nations (UN), recalls the so-called Shaperville Massacre in South Africa. The tragedy resulted in 69 people dead and more than 180 injured after a protest against a law that limited the places where black people could walk. The episode attracted the attention of world public opinion to the apartheid — system of racial segregation in effect in South Africa between 1948 and 1994.
“Racism is disgusting, treacherous, petty, inhumane. Racism, prejudice and discrimination continue to permeate society and institutions with hatred, violence and intolerance. They are rooted, attached to everyday political, social and economic structures, they attack, repress, verbalize anger and visceral feelings of disgust and aversion against black men and women, quilombolas, indigenous people, LGBTQI+, women, people with disabilities, the elderly, the poor, Asians, Jews , Palestinians, migrants and refugees, the so-called ethnic minorities”, highlighted the senator, Paulo Paim, author of the homage”.
Brazil Quilombola
Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Racial Equality, Roberta Eugênio considered the promotion of equal rights for all to be one of the boldest and most urgent institutional challenges in Brazil. For her, although it is still not ideal, the Ministry of Racial Equality today has the largest budget in history. “We will launch a series of normative acts, such as the Brasil Quilombola Program, the titling of five quilombola territories, the creation of inter-ministerial working groups, with the resumption of the National Plan for Affirmative Actions, the Plano Juventude Negra Viva, among others”, he said. .
Parliamentary Front
Also present at the session, the former Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights, Nilma Lino Gomes, highlighted that the date is not a day of celebration. She celebrated the creation of the Joint Anti-racist Congressional Parliamentary Front that will be installed in April. “It is a breakthrough, it is a very important ethical political commitment in this journey towards the elimination, overcoming of racism in our society, in political instances, in education and in the most diverse sectors of our society”, she said.
