Issue and Opponent: Brazil’s economic growth in recent decades has left sharp economic disparities to grow between the rich and poor. Brazil’s shopping centers, located in higher-income areas, hardly ever observe black Brazilians as customers. Only 7% of professionals in the nation come from African ancestry, thus proving that Afro-Brazilians have unequal access to vital resources needed to move up the economic ladder. Segregated societies have become the norm in Brazil and this norm has led to a multitude of issues observed throughout the nation. It was a widely held belief that Afro-Brazilians should have a right to take up space and enjoy 3rd spaces that are non-existent in lower-income areas.
Dilemma Action: In 2018, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, nearly 50 young black Brazilians dressed sharping in African designs walked into one of Brazil’s most exclusive shopping malls to watch the film “Black Panther”. Normally, this would just be another example of diversity and inclusion, but in this case, it is one of activism. These 50 young Afro-Brazilians had to courage to show up and take up space in an environment that has been intentionally excluding them. This act was called a “rolezinho preto” translating to “black stoll”, an act that has evolved as a form of protest in Brazil since 2014. Previous similar acts have resulted in black and brown teens being specifically excluded from shopping malls, and in some cases were met with rubber bullets and tear gas. This action was rooted in a human rights struggle, as people were being excluded from shopping centers based on the pigment of their skin.
Outcomes: None of the moviegoers were detained or stopped from entering the shopping mall in this case. The mall section and police forces couldn’t have removed these actors from this movie theater, as they abided by all commercial and social norms required by shopping centers. Forced removal of these actors could have been viewed as an over-policing measure and direct exclusion of Afro-Brazilians.