Black Lives Matter in Latin America: Continuities in Racism, Cross-National Resistance and Mobilization in the Americas

This volume considers how Black activism in Latin America has taken place in varying arenas such as in the academy, digital platforms, and traditional forms of activism. Contributors also examine the impact of activism on policy advocacy and legislation, as well as groups who the Black Lives Matter movement focus on such as women and immigrants. The first part of the book focuses on making Black Lives Matter in academic studies, governmental data, and politics. The next section focuses on the impact of Black activism on policy and legislation in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Black activists have been fighting for Black lives throughout Latin America and their struggles have not been in vain, although less policy change has occurred in Peru. The last section finds that social media has allowed for more independent forms of Black activism in Brazil and Cuba. Acknowledgments Contents About the Editors Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Charts List of Graphs List of Images List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Part I: Making Black Lives Matter in the Academy, Government, and Politics 1.2 Part II: The Impact of Black Activism on Policy and Legislation in Latin America 1.3 Part III: Alternative Forms of Black Mobilization in the Era of the Black Lives Matter Movement References Part I: Making Black Lives Matter in the Academy, Government, and Politics Chapter 2: The Race and Democracy Project and Black Lives Matter: Continuities in Racism, Cross-National Resistance and Mobilization in the Americas 2.1 The Race and Democracy Project: A Preface to Black Lives Matter in the Americas 2.2 Continuity of Racism Across the Americas 2.2.1 The Role of NCOBPS 2.3 From the Race and Democracy Project to Black Lives Matter 2.3.1 Racial Suppression, Exploitation and Framing a World of Africanity in the Americas 2.3.2 The History of the Race and Democracy Project: Its People, Work and Products 2.4 Conclusion References Chapter 3: Racial Politics: Central Themes in Academic Scholarship in the Social Sciences in Brazil (2012–2019) 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Intersectional Studies of Black Women 3.2.1 Gender and Race at the Forefront of Recent Academic Production (2012–2019) 3.3 Black Movements, Elections, Public Policies, and Violence in Recent Studies 3.3.1 Black Men and Women on the Move 3.3.2 Elections and Political Attitudes 3.3.3 Antiracist Political Policies 3.3.4 Violence and Genocide Against the Black Population 3.4 Conclusion References Chapter 4: Sophisticated Violence Against Blacks in an Era of Affirmative Action Policies: A Predictor of Violent Racial Conflict or a Case of Academic Terror? 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Quota System for Black Students: A “Serpent’s Egg”? 4.3 Were There Violent Racial Conflicts Between Black and White Students on Brazilian University Campuses in the 2000s and 2010s? 4.3.1 What Types of Violent Racial Conflict Are Opponents of the Quota System for Black Students Claiming Are on the Rise in Brazil? 4.3.2 Racial Tension and Conflict Post-Abolition and the Proposal for Affirmative Action Policies for Black Brazilians 4.3.3 Predictions of Racial Conflict in “the Brazil of the Future” or in the Year 2000 4.3.4 Predictions of Violent Racial Conflict Following the Implementation of the Quota System for Blacks 4.4 Final Considerations References Chapter 5: COVID-19 and Necropolitics: The Absence of Race and Gender Intersectional Analysis in Pandemic Data in Brazil 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Vulnerability and Necropolitics 5.3 Methodology 5.4 Intersectionality and Culture in COVID-19 Communications: The Importance of Disaggregated Health Data 5.5 Race and Epidemiological Bulletins on COVID-19 5.6 Communication and Culture 5.7 Conclusion References Chapter 6: Diversity in Political Representation: Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Municipal Elections of 2020 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Different Types of Representation 6.3 Methodology 6.4 Minority Representation in the 2020 Election 6.5 The Change in Minority Participation In the 2016 and 2020 Elections 6.6 The Election of Minority Groups By Region in Brazil 6.7 Party Ideology and the Election of Minority Groups 6.8 Final Considerations References Chapter 7: The New Bahia Enigma: Why Has Black Rome Never Elected a Black Mayor? A Case Study of the 1985 Municipal Election Campaigns of Edivaldo Brito and Mário Kertész 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Literature Review 7.3 Methodological Considerations 7.4 A History of Politics in Salvador 7.5 Candidates and Campaigns 7.6 Final Considerations: What Role Does Color Play in Salvador’s Elections? References Chapter 8: Afro-Colombian, Black, Raizal and Palenquero Participation in Electoral Politics: The Construction of a Distinctive Political Culture in Colombia 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Constitutional and Legal Norms That Regulate Political Participation in Colombia 8.3 The Dynamic of Participation in Electoral Politics by Special District for Black Communities 8.4 Obstacles to Political Participation Based on the Cultural Identity of the Afro-Colombian, Black, Raizal and Palenquero Population 8.5 Conclusion Appendix References Part II: The Impact of Black Activism on Policy and Legislation in Latin America Chapter 9: The Afro-Colombian Movement’s Institutional Activism and Political Impact (1991–2018) 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Historical Background and Context 9.3 Afro-Colombians and the Constituent Assembly 9.4 The Afro-Colombian Movement and Approval of Law 70 of 1993 9.5 Pluralization and Specialization of Afro-Colombian Organizations Post-Law 70 9.6 Afro-Colombian Movement’s Institutional Activism: From Post-1991 to the Álvaro Uribe Government 9.7 The Afro-Colombian Movement’s Political and Institutional Impact: From the Constitutional Reform to the Government of Juan Manuel Santos (2010–2014/2014–2018) 9.8 Affirmative Action Policies: From Black Communities to the Durban Effect 9.9 Afro-Colombian Political Representation 9.10 Conclusion References Chapter 10: Afro-Peruvian Citizenship: An Unfulfilled Promise After 200 Years of Republican Independence 10.1 Introduction 10.2 The Construction of a Peruvian Nation 10.2.1 The Exclusion of Blackness from the Idea of Nation 10.3 Peru: A Country of Mestizos 10.3.1 Mestizaje as a National Project 10.3.2 A New Type of Social Hierarchy: Whiteness and Mestizaje 10.3.3 The Space for Blackness in the White/Mestizo Equation 10.4 Inexistent Black Political Subjectivity 10.4.1 Color Blind Legalism in Peru 10.4.2 Color-Coded Inequality as a Result 10.5 The Adoption of Ethno-Racial Legislation in Peru 10.5.1 The Criminalization of Racial Discrimination 10.6 Structural Racism as a Continual Barrier 10.7 Democracy at a Crossroads: A Tale of Peru’s Latest Political Crisis 10.8 Conclusion References Chapter 11: Affirmative Action for Afrodescendants: A Debate in the Uruguayan Parliament 11.1 Introduction 11.2 A Brief Summary of the Main Political Parties 11.2.1 The Colorado Party 11.2.2 The National Party 11.2.3 The Broad Front 11.3 Afro-descendants, Afro-Uruguayans 11.4 The Emergence of Proposed Legislation 11.5 Proposed Legislation and Parliamentary Debate 11.6 Counter-Arguments Against the Application of Affirmative Action Policies 11.7 Categories Under Debate: Race and Class 11.8 International Context, Focus on Human Rights, and Emphasis on Poverty 11.9 Arguments in Favor of Affirmative Action 11.10 The Role of the Media in the Application of These Policies 11.11 Representation 11.12 Compliance with the Law 11.13 Afro-descendants and Self-Identification 11.14 Conclusion Chapter 12: Higher Education and Afrodescendants: Advances in Argentina During the Twenty-First Century 12.1 Introduction 12.2 The Political-Institutional Field: With Little Progress in Education 12.2.1 Recent Advances in the Political Agenda 12.2.2 Towards a Reform of the Higher Education Law 12.3 The Academic Field: A Territory of Disputes and Complementary Relationships 12.3.1 The Afrodescendants in the Agenda of 2018 Regional Conference of Higher Education 12.3.2 Academic Programmes and Experiences Focused on Higher Education and Afrodescendant Peoples 12.3.3 The Programme and UNESCO Chair Entitled ‘Higher Education and Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants’ at the National University of Tres de Febrero (UNTREF) 12.4 The Field of the Practices: The Emergent Initiatives Gestated from Afro Activism at Higher Education 12.5 Conclusion References Cited Laws and Decrees Chapter 13: The Construction of Municipal Level Racial Equality Policies 1.1 Introduction 1.1 Methodological Trajectory 1.2 Social Movements and Public Policies: Collaborative Dynamics Between the State and Civil Society 1.3 Agenda-Building and the Institutionalization of Racial Equality from a Comparative Perspective 1.4 The Policy to Promote Racial Equality in Municipal Contexts 1.5 Conclusion References Chapter 14: Between Business, Solidarity Mobilization, and Political Participation: Ethnic Entrepreneurship and the New Black Diaspora in São Paulo 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Context: Migration and Ethnic Entrepreneurship 14.3 Pragmatist Philosophy, Pragmatic Sociology, and Sociology of Public Problems 14.4 Research Strategies 14.5 Ethnic Entrepreneurs: Between Business and Political Participation 14.6 Final Considerations References Part III: Alternative Forms of Black Mobilization in the Era of the Black Lives Matter Movement Chapter 15: Decolonial Antiracist Feminist Digital Activism: Naming Carolina Maria de Jesus, Lélia González, and Marielle Franco on Twitter 15.1 Platform Studies and Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis: An Intersectional Feminist Perspective from the South 15.2 Methodological Approach to the Digital Space of Twitter in Brazil and Brazilians on Twitter 15.3 Tweeting and Naming: What’s in a Name? 15.3.1 Marielle Franco: The Politics of Naming LGBTQ+ People of Color 15.3.2 Lélia González. Women of Color in Theory and Activism. Naming Amefricanidade Online 15.3.3 Carolina Maria de Jesus: Naming on Twitter 15.4 Preliminary Conclusions References Chapter 16: Brazil’s New Black Politics: Black Brazilian YouTubers Fight for Social Justice During the Far-Right Era 16.1 Methodology 16.2 Brazil’s Political Climate 16.3 Media and Activism 16.4 Description of YouTubers 16.4.1 Para Pensar Antes Votar-Stop to Think Before You Vote 16.5 Political Mobilization and Resistance 16.6 Conclusion Appendix References Chapter 17: Palenquera and Quilombola Women: Black Womanhood, Labor, and Conviviality in Brazil and Colombia 17.1 Black Territories: Quilombos and Palenques 17.2 Woman Generators of Technologies for Living: Taking a Look at Conviviality 17.3 Intersecting Dialogues: Thinking Through Work 17.4 Final Considerations References Chapter 18: Who Are the Black Revolutionaries?: Resistance in Cuba and the State Boundaries That Endure 18.1 Racism and the Boundaries to Challenge It 18.2 Spaces of Black Consciousness: Highlighting the Private 18.3 Black Activism and Black Power 18.4 Race, Revolution, and Social Media 18.5 Conclusion Chapter 19: Conclusion: Continuity and Change in Racial Exclusion and Inclusion References Bibliography Index The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. 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