Central to Democracy, Yet Marginal in Academic Research: Racial Representation in Brazil

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by PublicABCP

Translated and reviewed by Matheus Lucas Hebling

Published in 2020 by Zouk, a Porto Alegre-based press, Raça e Eleições no Brasil by Luiz Augusto Campos and Carlos Machado brings to light the often-overlooked relationship between racial identity and the Brazilian political system.

Although race and politics have long been intertwined in Brazilian society, this is the first book dedicated exclusively to exploring this intersection. Presenting the results of their extensive research, the authors offer an in-depth analysis of racial representation in contemporary Brazilian politics, with a particular focus on electoral and parliamentary arenas.

Racial inequality is starkly evident in the country’s political landscape. Despite more than half the population identifying as Black or Brown (preto or pardo), the majority of elected officials are white men. This mismatch between demographics and political representation raises important questions: Why do Black and Brown candidates have lower chances of being elected? Are policies aimed at including these groups in politics fair and democratic? Once elected, how do Black representatives engage with antiracist agendas?

The book takes on the challenge of unpacking these issues and seeking answers.

Based on more than five years of research, the authors present a detailed and comprehensive study of the links between race and politics in Brazil. They aim to uncover the historical and structural roots of the underrepresentation of Black and Brown individuals in parliament—a topic they describe as “central to Brazilian democracy, yet still marginal in academic research.”

About the Authors

Luiz Augusto Campos is a professor of Sociology and Political Science at the Institute of Social and Political Studies at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (IESP-UERJ), where he coordinates the Multidisciplinary Study Group on Affirmative Action (GEMAA). He is the author of In Search of the Public: The Quotas Controversy in the Press (EdUERJ) and co-author of Affirmative Action: Concept, History, and Debates (EdUERJ). Campos is currently the editor-in-chief of the journal DADOS and conducts research on race and politics.

Carlos Machado is a professor of Political Science at the University of Brasília (Ipol-UnB), where he coordinates the outreach project Ubuntu: Black Front in Political Science. He also leads the research group Flora Tristán: Representations, Conflicts, and Rights. His research focuses on political parties, elections, and antiracist political theory.

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