Note from BW of Brazil: I can hear the denial loud and clear: “We Brazilians aren’t racists.” This was the title of a book after all. This after about seven decades of the spread of the “racial democracy” myth. Then yet another racist incident makes the headlines (not to mention the hundreds that surely happen everyday). Then, amazingly, you get Afro-Brazilians who are in fact the victims of such racist acts stating consistently (almost automatically) that “we’re all equal”. Also interesting is the fact that it seems to be the norm that when these same Afro-Brazilians are victims of racist sentiments/actions and pound their chest proclaiming that they are “proud to be black” always seem to be married to persons who look like the very people who hurl the racist sentiments in their direction. Not that you can’t be married to persons of the opposite race and still be proud of your race at the same time, but it IS interesting that it always seems to be the case. Here is the latest case of the “we’re not racist” mythology on the futebol pitch. See the videos below, the first of which you can clearly see the fan mouthing the words “macaco”, meaning monkey.
Racist insults against goalkeeper Aranha mark Grêmio’s defeat to Santos
From the newsroom of Correio Braziliense
During the demonstrations, a Grêmio fan even threw a cell at the rival
Aranha, a victim of racism in the Grêmio Arena: “I’m really puta da vida (mad as hell), pardon my words.”
The first match between Grêmio and Santos, in the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil (Brazil Cup), on Wednesday, was tarnished by racist taunts directed at the Santos goalkeeper Aranha. The athlete had had a great performance and contributed to the team winning by a score of 2-0. In the final minutes of the match in Porto Alegre, he was insulted became insulted by the opposition’s fans.
A group of about 10 people located behind the Santos goal imitated monkey sounds. In addition, an ESPN camera caught a cheerleader clearly calling Aranha “macaco” (monkey). According to Zero Hora, a person came to throw a phone against the athlete after 42 minutes of the second half. At the 47th minute, the Military Brigade went into the stands to try to take someone away, which caused confusion among fans.
“I was in the goal, the crowd insulted me, heckling me is normal. But they started with racist words, calling me preto fedido (stinking black). They started a chorus of monkey (sounds)…I get really mad when these things happen, it’s something that hurts. When they called me monkey, preto (black), I thumped my arm and said yes I am black,” revealed the player leaving the field.
Reccuring questionable behavior in 2014
Asked if he plans to make an ocorrência policial (police report), Aranha declined to answer directly. “More than the report, it’s giving an interview and people knowing this and fighting against (it). Not everyone, but there’s always a racist. It’s giving the message so that they are smarter for the next match (in the Grêmio Arena),” he said.
When he heard the demonstrations, Aranha reacted and approached the referee. The game stopped because of the incident. The goalkeeper gestured to the referee Wilton Pereira de Sampaio who didn’t take any action at the time.
In Brazil, racism is imprescriptible and non-bailable crime and it’s up to Ministério Público to consider the legitimacy of prosecuting the offender.
It’s the third recent case of offenses in the Grêmio Arena. The death of Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s father became the motif of a song when Atlético-MG visited the stadium in a game for the Brazilian Championship. In the last classic against Internacional, fans shouted about the death of Fernandão (the Inter player who died in a helicopter accident in June). His widow and children of the idol were in the stadium.
Aranha files a police report and cites Martin Luther King in a statement against racist act
By iG
Goalkeeper says that racism is an evil that undermines every time it’s detected. He will file a report against the fan for racism
Aranha went to a police station in Porto Alegre early Friday afternoon to file a police report.
The goalie’s son, Bernardo, 14, or Aranha Jr, as he likes to be called, showed his support for his father through a social network. “I’m already tired of this, such foolishness! Until when? Will this end? I’m proud of having a black father,” he wrote.
Aranha’s wife, Juliana Costa, says that Aranha is not the only athlete who suffers racial insults in games. She hopes that, with such attention after the case, the offenses cease.
“In every game, unfortunately, it happens; not only with him (Aranha), but with other black players. I’m upset. And the only thing to say now is that we have end racism soon and wait for measures as soon as possible,” she said.
Earlier, on the Santos team site, the goalkeeper issued a statement approving of the repercussions resulting from the case because racism is weakened to the measure in which is battled. For this, he quoted one of the greatest names in the fight against racism in history, Martin Luther King. The American, in 1963, made a speech that even today is a symbol against racial segregation.
The Grêmio team has promised to help authorities identify the fans caught by TV images insulting the goalkeeper.
Note from Aranha
I would like to tell all those interested in this controversial and sad episode from yesterday that after a sleepless night, I woke up relieved and satisfied, because the way I see it, racism in any form or genre is evil and evil undetected grows and gets stronger.
Yesterday, this evil showed its face and it was good because I’m sure it will be, once again, fought against and weakened, as in 1963, when Martin Luther King made his famous speech “I Have a Dream.”
“Eu tenho um sonho. Que um dia viveremos em uma nação onde as pessoas não serão julgadas pela cor da pele, mas sim pelo conteúdo de seu caráter”. (I have a dream. That one day we will live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character).” – Aranha. Friday, August 29, 2014
Fan that offended the Santos goalie is removed from her job in Porto Alegre
Young woman caught calling goalkeeper “monkey” worked in the Centro Médico e Odontológico (Medical and Dental Centre) of the Military Brigade
By GloboEsporte.com
The Grêmio fan caught by TV cameras calling Aranha “macaco” during a match between Grêmio and Santos late on Thursday in Porto Alegre, was removed from her job at the Military Brigade Medical and Dental Center. Patrícia Moreira was third party employee who provided service assistance to the dental clinic in the military brigade.
According to a spokesperson for the corporation, the 22 year old fan was still identified late on Thursday (28). The request for removal came from the medical center’s own management. According to the Military Brigade, both the clinic and the directors of the corporation repudiate acts of violence or discrimination of any kind.
Earlier on Thursday, the prosecutor of the Superior Court of Sports Justice, Paul Schmitt, said Grêmio will be denounced for the episode. He revealed that he received an addendum of the match summary from the referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio, which initially had not mentioned acts of racism against the Santos goalkeeper.
Shortly after the episode in the Grêmio Arena, pictures of fans insulting the Santos goalkeeper began to circulate through social networks. Criticized for her actions, Patrícia deleted the profiles she kept on sites like Facebook and Instagram.
The state’s Civil Police announced on Friday that it will also investigate the case in the criminal context. According to the Head of the Civil Police of (state of) Rio Grande do Sul, Guilherme Wondracek, a requisitorial letter will be sent to Santos, in São Paulo state, so that the goalkeeper can make a criminal representation denouncing the crime of injúria racial (racial injury/slur).
“The crime will be investigated in the criminal context by the principal delegate of the 4th precinct that covers the area of the stadium. He will gather some evidence, such as television images, and will request Grêmio to send images of the stadium, so that we can identify all possible authors,” Wondracek said.
The act of racism came from the bleachers positioned behind the goal defended by the goalkeeper. Leaving the field, Aranha complained of offenses heard at the end of the game. He demanded that authorities take action, but would not confirm if he would take any action. Initially, he expressed the decision not to make a police report after the match, but the attorney, Cristiano Caus, said the report would be made and that the case will have ramifications.
Source: Superesportes, iG Esporte, ig Esporte (2), Globo Esporte
I am happy that Brazilian “powers that be” are taking the issue of racism seriously and following the law on this! Hopefully this send a message to other people that they can no longer treat Black Brazilians however they want.
I see that they have the same issues that exist here in the states..But many whites can’ understand why many blacks can’t stand the site of them ..After all these years of free labor building societies and infrastructure’s that you (WHITES) have benefited from. And you still do not want to render fairness in allowing blacks equality in these societies…It seems that whites do not know how to co-exist peacefully with anyone who does not look like them…
silly footballer.
He is contributing to the problem. look at his wife and child.
He is literally transferring his wealth to a person who will not look like him and will not identify as black.
He is also diluting his gene pool.
Black Brazilians are so confused. Wanting to mix with your enemies.
Thank you for writing this Al! I have discussed with many black Brazilian men who don’t even seem to notice this. Also, when I mention it, they don’t seem to have a comment.
Several possible conclusions here:
1) They want to be white
2) They simply fell in love with a white person; although this is not impossible, when you consider the comments black women have made about how they are treated by black men, I see something more to this than simply love.
3) In many black families, still today, black Brazilians are encouraged to marry white people to “improve the race”.
Even white Brazilians comment on this near obsession of black men for white women. There are those who also see it in black women.
In some ways it simply seems that black Brazilians have made their choice: it’s better to be white!
A number of articles touch on this subject. Every now and then someone will write a comment of the sort like: “leave politics out of relationships”, “love has color” or “you’re racist against interracial couples”.
It simply shows that people would rather look at things with their eyes closed rather than analyzing the facts. When Orkut was a popular social network, there were ALWAYS topics discussing identity and interracial marriage. EVERYTHING can be debated and discussed. If people truly believe what they believe, they shouldn’t get silent when the facts are presented. And the fact is, if one looks at famous Afro-Brazilians, it is easy to note that the overwhelming majority of them are married to white people. And it’s not only entertainers and athletes.
Vocês não conhecem nada aqui do Brasil,muito menos de Porto Alegre.Então vão cuidar da suas vidas e de seus próprios problemas cambada de hipócritas!
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