Today, I want to invite you. Stop for a few seconds. Look to the side, look around. Literally turn your head from side to side. So, answer me (even if in thought): how many black people have you seen? How many black people are in the same environment as you are now?
This is called the “neck test”. A simple and quick way – often used by us black people – to identify the presence or absence of black people in spaces. And, when the blacks are there, the unanswered question is: what positions are they in? This says a lot about social and economic inequality in Brazil.
Just the black presence in the spaces is not enough. It complies – in a way – with representativeness, but knowing where they are says a lot about inclusion. If you’ve seen black people around you, ask yourself: where are they? Are they in front or behind the counter? Are they the ones who ask for the bill or the ones who bring the machine to pay? Are they the ones who hand over the car keys to the valet or are they the ones who pick up the car for storage? No demerit to the professions but it is necessary to observe that.
In a country with a black majority – 56% of the population is black and brown – it is not this majority that is at the top of the social pyramid. Blacks still rank several indices of social inequality, despite advances. They are still those with lower incomes, low levels of education, are the main victims of violence and are still a minority in the “high society”.
Yes, advances cannot and should not be ignored. But we are still walking. We still turn our necks and we don’t always see each other in spaces. And occupying spaces is not an invasion, but a historic reparation and the best way to achieve social and economic equality.
Next week, Brazil will complete 135 years of the Abolition of Slavery. A great moment to reflect on whether we have, in fact, abolished slavery or whether the slave quarters and the big house just changed scenery. Think about it!
And, if you can, as soon as you finish reading this text, practice the neck test and question yourself (always). A little turn of the neck at the mall, at the club, at the airport, at school, at the condominium, at your company… doesn’t hurt anyone. I’ll even stop here so you can take the test there. Let’s go there?
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
