Lula cites ‘historical debt of white supremacy’

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva classified as payment of a historic debt built by “white supremacy” the announcement of 13 measures by his government to mark Black Awareness Day this Monday, (20). The package foresees investments of around R$20 million to, among other initiatives, advance 1,800 quilombola land titling processes.

“What we have done here today is the payment of a historic debt that white supremacy has built in this country since this country was discovered. We just want to restore what is a reality of a democratic society”, stated the PT member.

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Furthermore, he took advantage of the event at Palácio do Planalto to compare the dismantling of social policies during Jair Bolsonaro’s government to the destruction of buildings in the Gaza Strip, which is currently under attack by Israeli military forces.

“You have no idea how we found this country. You are seeing hurricanes in Rio Grande do Sul, filling with water, you are seeing Santa Catarina. But here there was a hurricane that destroyed everything that is social inclusion policy, which we killed ourselves to do in thirteen years, was destroyed in one day. It’s like the Gaza Strip, you see those buildings that are being destroyed, they took decades to build, but a rocket destroys it in a second. And here public policies were destroyed that we are trying to rebuild”, stated the PT member at the ceremony commemorating Black Awareness Day at Palácio do Planalto.

With the participation of politicians, ministers, artists and leaders of black and quilombola movements, the event held this morning featured a speech by the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, to announce the package of measures.

Among the most important proposals, the announcement of R$8 million for a qualification program for employees who provide psychosocial care for families of victims of violence in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro and the delivery of titles that guarantee definitive possession for around 300 quilombola families from different regions of the country.

The actions announced this Monday were divided into the following axes: right to life and dignity, right to education and inclusion, right to land and right to memory and reparation.

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“When people ask me what the priority of the ministry is, President, I always say that it is a dignified life for all people. We will not accept anything less than that”, stated minister Anielle Franco. She also highlighted in her speech the fact that, for the first time, the country has a Ministry of Racial Equality to celebrate Black Awareness Day.

Degrees

Among the land titles delivered this Monday during the event at Palácio do Planalto were the title for the community of Ilha de São Vicente, which is located in Araguatins (TO) and has 55 families; and for 89 families from Lagoa dos Campinhos, which is in Amparo de São Francisco and Telha (SE).

Furthermore, the Maranhão Land Institute (Iterma), in partnership with the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) and the Government of Maranhão, also delivered three titles: one to the Association of Residents of Povoado Malhada dos Pretos, the municipality of Peri Mirim (MA), which has 45 families; another for the Association of Residents of Povoado Santa Cruz, also from Peri Mirim (MA), which has 50 families; and the last for the Association of the Black Community of Quilombola Rural Workers of Deus bem Sabe, in the municipality of Serrano do Maranhão (MA), which has 80 families.

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Minister Anielle Franco also announced an investment of R$5 million in partnership with the Federal Institute of Maranhão to promote improvements for the quilombola communities of Alcântara (MA). The initiative provides for training courses with an emphasis on social technologies to guarantee food and income generation, technology transfer actions and also the installation of photovoltaic plants for communities that still suffer from poverty and rights violations. .

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Interministerial initiatives

In addition to the degree packages, the program announced this Monday includes a series of initiatives involving the coordination of the Ministry of Racial Equality with other Esplanada departments. Check out the list of initiatives below:

Affirmative action policies: The Federal Affirmative Action Program has an investment of R$9 million to develop mechanisms that guarantee transparency, participation, social control, management, follow-up, monitoring and evaluation of affirmative policies.

Working groups: The Interministerial Working Group (GTI) on Anti-Racist Communication will be responsible for proposing policies that promote more inclusive and respectful communication within the public administration. In addition to developing the National Anti-Racist Communication Plan.

Anti-racist early childhood: A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Racial Equality and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to work together to combat racism and mitigate its impacts on the childhood of black, quilombola and indigenous children. The strategies to be created will be aimed at training health, social assistance and education professionals, holding seminars and events, producing research, as well as disseminating materials related to anti-racist practices in health services. care for pregnant women, black and indigenous children.

Brazil without hunger: the Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) between the MIR and the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger (MDS) reaffirms the commitment to building an agenda to combat hunger, food insecurity and poverty, starting from the qualification of social assistance services and equipment. It is part of the Brazil Without Hunger Plan, which seeks to promote race and gender equity through socioeconomic inclusion and the promotion of food and nutritional security.

Little Africa and Valongo Pier: the Ministry of Racial Equality also entered into a partnership with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) to implement cultural projects and actions in favor of preserving and valuing African heritage, as well as strengthening cultural institutions in the Pequena region Africa and the Cais do Valongo archaeological site, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The main port of entry for enslaved Africans in Brazil and the Americas, Valongo Wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Estimates indicate that around one million Africans landed there.

Hip-Hop as a cultural reference: a Presidential Decree was signed recognizing Hip-Hop as a Brazilian Cultural reference, establishing national guidelines for valuing Hip-Hop culture.

Amefrican Paths: South-South university exchange program that plans to invest R$22 million over four years to promote dialogue, research, scientific production, anti-racist education, cultural exchanges and cooperation between Brazil and countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean . The program is aimed at black, brown and/or quilombola people in the public education network, who are regularly enrolled in undergraduate courses or are Basic Education teachers here, as well as students and teachers from historically vulnerable social groups in partner countries.

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The program’s goal is to reach 15 countries over the next five years. At each edition, 50 scholarship holders from Brazil and 10 from the partner country will benefit from 15-day exchanges. The first countries to receive Caminhos Amefricanos will be Mozambique, Colombia and Cape Verde. The selection notice for the first edition, which will connect São Luís (MA) and Maputo, will be launched on Tuesday (21).

Editing: Geisa Marques