“Anemic bastard. Die you black”: After racist graffiti, black women’s group hold public protest

Note from BW of Brazil: Racism in Brazil seems to be as regular as a capoeira display or a soccer match. Reports on this blog about racism only represent a small percentage of such incidents and subsequent denouncements. As reports have shown, racism hotlines continue to ring off the hook month after the month with reports of insults, acts of disrespect or blatant racial discrimination throughout the country. What is different from Brazil of 20-30 years ago is the reaction of black Brazilians. Although one could argue that the long-time myth of “racial democracy” still holds sway in the consciousness of everyday citizens, different from the past, more and more Afro-Brazilians are becoming conscious of racist ideologies, able to identify them and putting their communities on notice that these types of humiliation will no longer be accepted without a denouncement or court battle. 

The northeastern state of Ceará is hardly known for widespread black militancy but rather for being a popular location for tourists both from within Brazil as well as foreign travelers. Which makes this denouncement against racism all the more noteworthy. Check the story below. 

“Anemic bastard. Die you black”: After reading message, young student goes into convulsions

Graffiti in the bathroom of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (Cariri Regional University) attacks student with sickle cell anemia because of his disease and his color

Courtesy of the Revista Fórum Newsroom

Student Pedro Victor Araújo, who suffers from sickle cell anemia, convulsed after finding scrawled in the bathroom of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (Urca or Regional University of Cariri) a racist message that said: “Anemic bastard. Die you black.” The biased manifestation occurred on the 13th.

The Grupo de Mulheres Negras do Cariri (Black Women’s Group of Cariri), Pretas Simoa, held a demonstration on the morning of Friday (21) on the Pimenta da Urca campus, protesting racism in the university. After the act, Araújo again went into convulsions, and was tended to by the protesters. In protest, the activists of the Pretas Simoa questioned the lack of assistance from the institution for the university student that because of his health problem, requires medical and psychological support.

This is not the first case of racism that has happened in Urca. In 2013, the companion of a teacher of a History was called a “macaca (monkey)”, also by means of graffiti in the university. The Pretas Simoa has provided assistance to the student, who was accompanied by members of the group to register a police report. According to activists, this monitoring should be offered by the institution, which “has an obligation to provide medical and psychological support and carry out with urgency educational measures in combating racism,” said one of the members of the collective.

Source: Portal Revista Fórum