Note from BW of Brazil: Well, another surprise, but again, not shocking. It may be true that the vast majority of material on this blog that deals with racism, racist comments and insults focus on persons who look or consider themselves white, another issue that clearly needs more discussion is when the crime concerns blacks who insult/make fun of other blacks (see here, here, here or here). The subject is not new but not as widely discussed as when the races involved are different.
Over the years, I’ve witnessed a rise in the discourse of many whites, be they in Brazil or in the United States, that points the finger at black people for the problems that affect the black community. “Why are you whining about racism? Why don’t you talk about black-on-black crime?”, many are quick to say. “Why don’t you ever complain when blacks call other blacks monkey?” “Black people don’t have unity”, “blacks don’t support each other”, so many are quick to say. In many of these accusations, people actually have a point. These ills DO exist in the black community. But what whites who say these things fail to point out is that these issues are directly influenced by African descendants experiencing hundreds of slavery, the indoctrination of black inferiority/white superiority, racism and enforced second class citizen status, which points the finger directly back at the very people who make these points.
I’ve said this for years. You cannot brutalize an entire people for physically, emotionally and psychologically for hundreds of years and then suddenly partially liberate them and then say everything is OK. Of course people will say that this is simply making an excuse in order that the oppressed can avoid taking responsibility, but is it really?
In response, I would ask the following questions: In your school system, are positive stories about Black History presented for all to learn? Do black people as a whole play prominent roles in the industries of banking, finance or media? Do they have the majority power in government? Even if they have symbolic power as was the case with now ex-president of the United States, Barack Obama or leaders of African or Caribbean countries, are these governments completely free of Eurocentric influence on the world market or indebted to such forces? I ask these questions because until black people worldwide attain the power in these areas and more, we will continue to read stories of black people who oppress the only people that they can actually get away with such behavior with: other black people.
Suspect of racism against daughter of Gagliasso and Ewbank is a minor and black
The police managed to carry out “Operation Gagliasso” and identify the perpetrator of the crime against Titi
Courtesy of Estado de Minas
The suspect of the attacks against the actors` daughter is the same one that offended singer/television host Gaby Amarantos
Just over a month after filing a complaint about racist comments on the internet made against their two-year-old daughter Titi, actors Bruno Gagliasso and Giovanna Ewbank had a happy ending to the case on Tuesday morning.
The Delegacia de Repressão aos Crimes de Informática (DRCI or Office for the Suppression of Crimes of Informatics), with the support of the Departamento Geral de Polícia Especializada (General Department of Specialized Police), the Centro Integrado de Inteligência e Controle do Estado de São Paulo (Integrated Center of Intelligence and Control of the State of São Paulo) and the Grupo Armado de Repressão a Roubos da Polícia Civil de São Paulo (Armed Group Repression of Robbery of the Civil Police of São Paulo), managed to identify some of the suspects in the so-called, ‘Operation Gagliasso’.
The police carried out orders of search and seizure warrants and took 7 young people to the police station to provide clarification. The case is curious in that a 14-year-old black teen confessed that she created a false profile to make racist offenses, believing she would go unpunished.
On Wednesday, the 21st, the titular of DRCI, Daniela Terra, held a press conference on the case. “All the suspects were taken to the police station and a 14-year-old girl living in a low-income community with no infrastructure in Guarulhos (São Paulo state) confessed (to the crime). The 14-year-old girl, who said she was black, committed the crime herself and said she didn’t regret it.
“She did not show herself being sorry at any time, which was very strange even for us. We asked her what color she thought she was and she was clear when she said that she was black. And she showed no regret, on the contrary, she said she wanted to do it,” said Terra. “Other suspects were heard, but the conclusion was drawn that they just shared the internet at the girl’s house and were unrelated to the case.”
And, to a greater surprise, the precinct head still revealed that the young woman is the same one who made racist comments about Gaby Amarantos. Because she is a minor, she will respond to an infraction in relation to the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA or Statute of the Child and the Adolescent, being accused in fact analogous to the crime of injury due to prejudice and also for false identity.
The young woman made the fake profile with the intention of committing the injuries to “make fun of” of Titi, besides harming another girl, who is a relative and had her photo and the name used. The teenager’s coldness in revealing the crime and showing no regret surprised the precinct chief.
“There are black people in her family, she says she’s black, her mother is also, it’s with surprise and sadness that we see that this is happening and it’s a step backwards in our society,” she said.
The girl’s parents, meanwhile, were surprised to hear the news and everyone was very disappointed, said the chief of the department.
In thanks, the actor Bruno Gagliasso used social networks to publish a note to the police for having successfully completed “Operation Gagliasso”, signed by him and his wife, actress Giovanna Ewbank.
“We are grateful to the police for explaining the whole affair to our daughter. We are aware that she is just one of the thousands of people who are victims of prejudice every day in this country, a country that is also a recurrent victim of lack of investment in Education and affirmative action against racial prejudice. We cannot be tolerant of prejudice. Prejudice is a crime! Talk to your parents, with your children and in the classroom, and if you are a victim of aggression, report it, don’t let it pass. We have to shine light on this problem.”
Great article!!