“We are not born black, we become black. It is a hard, cruel understanding that one develops out in the world. A black person who is conscious of their blackness is in the fight against racism.” – Lélia Gonzalez
If the majority of the country is black with almost 54% identifying as black or brown, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, making Brazil the second-largest black nation, only after Nigeria why are black people not represented in spaces of power? Why are organizations from the Brazilian black movement not considered voices to be heard in nation-building projects? Why are only 17.8% of parliamentarians in the National Congress black or brown?