Minister Anielle Franco, from the Racial Equality department, recreated in the new government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), defended the importance of the Quota Law in the country, stating that it is the most important, in force at the moment, in the reparation that the country owes to the black population.
“The Quota Law is one of the greatest reparations we have in the country. I am the result of the Quota Law within the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), where I am very proud and have spoken. I will repeat this a lot and thank President Lula, because there is no other reparation law greater than the Quota Law in the country today”, said the minister in an interview with the Brasil em Pauta program that will air this Sunday (5) , at 22:30, on TV Brasil.
:: Black movement and left want review of Quota Law after election: “Racist Congress” ::
The Costa Law completed 10 years of implementation in August last year.
According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), between 2010 and 2019, the number of black people in universities in the country grew by 400%. The Higher Education Census of the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) in 2018 shows that the participation of indigenous people in higher education increased by 842% between 2010 and 2017.
When the Quotas Law was created, there were already programs to reserve vacancies for the black population in 80% of public universities in the country. The pioneer was the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj), which adopted the model in 2003.
The Law was the result of the struggle and elaboration of the black movement. Still in 1983, then-senator Abdias do Nascimento presented Bill 1332, which foresaw the creation of 20% quotas for women and blacks in public service and universities.
Read more.: For another 50 years? Get to know the opinion of parliamentarians on the Quota Law, which completes 10 years
In the interview with TV Brasil, Anielle Franco recalled that, although the Law is legitimized by the numbers and has been in force for a decade, it is still common to hear negative comments against the legislation. According to the minister, something that has existed since the implementation of the Costas, in 2012.
“Speaking of 2012, which was the year I joined, there were still a lot of people there who said ‘ah, the Quota Law doesn’t work’, or even said ‘quota holders can’t keep up when they enter’, so I came from a 12-year trajectory in the United States, my English was fluent and it was great, because I was able to prove within the university that that was not real”, recalled the minister.
:: Anielle Franco defends change in textbooks and opportunity for blacks ::
As minister, Anielle Franco appointed sociologist Márcia Lima to the Secretariat for Affirmative Action Policies and Combating and Overcoming Racism.
Anielle Franco is the sister of councilwoman Marielle Franco, murdered in March 2018 in Rio de Janeiro. Currently two people, accused of being the executors of the crime, are arrested.
) However, the case still lacks fundamental responsibilities, such as the motivation for the crime and those responsible for mentoring the murders. Marielle Franco’s driver, Anderson Gomes, was also killed that day.
Editing: Lucas Weber
