Senate CCJ approves increase in racial quotas for public competition

The Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) of the Senate approved, this Wednesday (8), by 17 votes in favor against eight, the supplementary round of Bill 1,958, of 2021, which extends the quota policy for another 10 years. racial criteria for public competitions and selection processes for federal public administration, direct and indirect, including private foundations and agencies.

As the project is being processed on a final basis, it goes directly to the Chamber of Deputies for analysis, without needing approval from the Senate plenary. The topic will only have to go through the plenary if nine senators present an appeal against the matter within five working days.

The approved project increases the total number of places reserved for racial quotas from the current 20% to 30%, also including indigenous and quilombola groups. Currently, racial quotas for contests only reach the black population, which includes black and brown people. The 2014 law on quotas for competitions expires on June 9th.

The project’s rapporteur, senator Humberto Costa (PT-PE), rejected the four amendments presented by senators Sérgio Moro (União-PR), Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), Plínio Valério (PSDB-AM) and Rogério Marinho (PL- RN), who spoke out against the project.

For Costa, the amendments undermine the racial quota policy as provided for in the bill. The CCJ also rejected all the highlights presented by senators opposed to the matter, maintaining the text of rapporteur Humberto Costa.

Black and brown

The only change accepted by the rapporteur was a change in wording to change the word “negro” to “preto e pardo” following a statement by senator Plínio Valério, who argued that brown would not be the same as black. “And, when he goes after the bag and says he is black, he will be a victim of discrimination and accused of being a fraudster, because he is not black,” he argued.

Humberto Costa explained that the legislation provides that black people are all people who declare themselves black or mixed race, as defined by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

“The people who are upset with this possibility of being considered black are black,” said the rapporteur, adding that the discussion is “a prejudiced conception”.

“But let’s do it, because what matters today is that we approve this definition”, he concluded, accepting the change in wording.

Opposition

Some of the senators were opposed to the matter, mainly on the grounds that the quotas should only be social, based on income level, and not based on race.

“I think this discussion of ethnicity goes the wrong way, because we are all the result of miscegenation. The discussion, in my opinion, had to be socioeconomic”, argued senator Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ).

Senator Fabiano Contarato (PT-ES) argued, in turn, that the black population suffers prejudice and discrimination that the non-black population does not suffer, which would justify the public policy of racial quotas.

“[É cômodo] because you are not judged by your skin color. Because no one crosses the street when a white man crosses the street, but be a black man so you can see that, every day, people cross the street to even cross a black man. This is the reality of this unequal country,” he said.