Note from BW of Brazil: If you didn’t already know, Brazil is one of the most socially unequal countries on the world and it didn’t become that way by accident. The very basis of the country’s social structure is based upon the ‘have most everything they need’ and those who ‘have almost nothing’. This is not to say that social-economic inequality is unique to Brazil as this reality can be noted in many countries around the world. It’s just that Brazil is one of the worst examples and the differences are often quite shocking. And as with any other country, Brazil has its elite that wishes that it remain that way. Over the past decade or so, we’ve witnessed a slow process in which poorer (and blacker) Brazilians have made strides and slowly begun positioning themselves in universities and professions that were previously nearly exclusively white. Affirmative action policies such as quotas have been one of the principle mechanisms that have facilitated these changes. And as we reported in a previous article, Brazil’s ‘haves’ are none too pleased about having to share spaces that were once almost exclusively theirs. The latest proof of this is a commentary by a well-known journalist who was featured here not too long ago for another absurd comment.
Racism in comments of Globo TV journalist provokes outrage among students and professor
Racism on Globo TV outrages students and professor
Courtesy of Brasil 247
A comment by journalist Alexandre Garcia, former spokesman of the military dictatorship, on Globo TV from the Federal District, caused immense outrage in public school students and teachers as well as in the academic community; Garcia said that cotistas (quota students) entering the University of Brasília (UnB) have no merit and are there by “pistolão”, even though studies show that the cotistas are performing better than non-quota students; “Whoever ascended in their career with favors and crumbs from plutocrats can only see in others the vices that it carries,” says the student João Marcelo; professor Flávia Helen who works in the public school network of the Federal District, warns: “It’s just the beginning. We will invade your beach and you will be cared for by black doctors and lawyers.”
A comment by journalist Alexandre Garcia, former spokesman of the military dictatorship, a local news globe in Brasilia causes immense anger among students and teachers from the public and the academic community.
Garcia said the quota students at the University of Brasilia enter in the back in the public university, without having, in its evaluation, merit to study the federal institutions of higher education. Would be there by “pistolão“, said the journalist.
However, several studies of the Ministry of Education have already proven that the quota students have come out with higher academic performance than non-quota students.
“We have to think about the quality of education. Here in Brazil it’s all like this by pistolão (connections or favoritism), empurrãozinho (a little push), help. The translation of this is quotas. Then it puts there puts a bunch of people … only 67%, you saw there, passed by merit. They are learning what life is, competition, without any humiliation of receiving receiving empurrãozinho. Merit is the basis,” said the journalist.
In the past, Garcia had already caused controversy by saying that Brazil was not racist until inventing Law of Quotas. He followed the reasoning of Ali Kamel, news director of Globo TV, who wrote the book Não somos racistas (We are not racists), in order to try to avoid that Brazil adopt affirmative action policies that have existed in the United States for over 50 years.
By the thesis of Garcia, actresses of Globo itself, such as Taís Araújo and Sheron Menezes, only suffered racist attacks recently because they “invented” the Law of Quotas.
Garcia’s comment sparked outrage and anger in the teacher Flávia Helen, who works in public school network in the Federal District and prepares students for the vestibular (college entrance exam).
Read the article by student João Marcelo, studying at UnB:
The ethical abomination in Alexandre Garcia
By João Marcelo
The comments of Alexander Garcia on Globo TV news are always a festival of improprieties invariably of an elitist nature. But his recent statement accusing students entering UnB through the quota system of “not possessing the merit to enter the University” reveal in his personality a penchant of a slave master, a callus formation itself of a barren and deeply perverse ruling class.
The Law of Quotas in universities completed three years in the past year. A fruit of the mobilization of social movements, succeeded on collaborating on the entrance of more than 111,000 black students. To the contrary what is heralded by the intellectuals of the Casa Grande (Big House), its effectiveness hasn’t destabilized public higher education: according to scientific data collected in the assessment of 10 years of the implementation of the system of quotas at UnB, the performance of cotista students is equal to or higher than that recorded by students of the universal system. Further analysis in dozens of institutions such as UERJ (State University of Rio de Janeiro) and UFG (Federal University of Goiás) are consistent with the diagnosis.
The arguments against the quota system carry the sign of an ideology that has made the country live in colonialism, slavery and the dictatorship itself. It’s in the DNA of the Brazilian ruling class seeking to prevent the emancipation of the oppressed, for these constitute a threat to its rule. To this end, they conceal the looting and oppression that colonized peoples were and are submitted, while seeking to domesticate the minds of the oppressed from lies repeated ad nauseam in the mass media.
Darcy Ribeiro, founder of UnB and one of the greatest Brazilian anthropologists, had occasion to assert that the biggest problem in Brazil is its elite. According to him, Brazilian elites appropriate power only to usurp national wealth, condemning their people to backwardness and penury (see O livro dos CIEPS, 1986: 98). Therefore we carry the inglorious position as the third most unequal country in the world.
Alexandre Garcia is a known sycophant of the official hosts. He was an ally of the dictator Ernesto Geisel and spokesman of the dictator João Batista Figueiredo. He was discharged after posing half-naked in a men’s magazine. He supported the candidacy of (Paulo) Maluf in the Electoral College. He was one of the architects of Globo coverage that favored the rise of (Presidents) Fernando Collor de Mello and Fernando Henrique Cardoso. He is therefore a co-participant in the social, political, economic and ideological tragedy of Brazilian society.
Globo TV, home to this sad figure, is the main ally of all abominable causes espoused by the elite against the Brazilian people. It supported the 1964 coup, facilitated broad support for the military regime and gave support to conservative governments after democratization. His journalism has always persecuted social movements and popular leaders, whose most resounding expression was the hero of the homeland Leonel de Moura Brizola.
When he insults the public school students entering by the quota system, the journalist sees in this paternalism and charity. It is compressible. Whoever ascended in their career with favors and crumbs of plutocrats can only see in others the vices that it carries. Fortunately, the Brazilian people will not allow the stateless right wing to put their dirty, bloody hands on their most expensive rights to the sadness of the journalist and his supporters.
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