Social media analyst and law student Edilaine Kosiur told CNN this Saturday (20) that diversity is not “good only for black people, but for every company”.
“A recent survey says that black people among lawyers and interns in the large offices in São Paulo account for only 1%. When I started law school, it discouraged me a little”, he said.
“I always heard my father say that we had to study and work twice as much, mainly studying, because it’s as if we were at a disadvantage in a job opening. I felt that for a long time.”
However, she started to participate in a group to foster diversity and inclusion in the job market. According to her, they are people who are “trying to open space and talk to large companies”.
“I’m part of a group of 20 black lawyers, people who are trying to open space, talk to big companies. Diversity is not only good for me, who is black, but for businessmen, for people in the company”, she assessed.
Before that, the social media analyst faced difficulties in the job market as a black woman. She said that the difficulties were only overcome when she found a company with black managers.
“In the company I currently work for, the leader and supervisor for the area for which I applied are black. I knew that my skin tone would not be a disadvantage, that I would not be disadvantaged in the selection process. That brought me security.”
racism at work
In an interview with CNN, Edilaine recalled moments when she lived racism in a job as a receptionist at a beauty salon.
“It was me and a blonde girl with a green eye. The two receptionists. Everything she did wrong was my fault. If I had to do external services, in the hot sun, have to go buy something downtown, I could see it clearly [o chefe] saying ‘send the girl to buy’. A hairdresser said that the ‘white girl is ready, but the blame always falls on the nigger girl'”, he said.
She, however, said she chose to stay on the job. “I ended up staying because I needed the job. But nowadays I wouldn’t accept it anymore. We have to occupy all the spaces, because they are also ours. We are starting, but we still have a lot to fight.”
On Black Consciousness Day, CNN on Plural brings stories of overcoming racism in Brazil.
Reference: CNN Brasil
