Black Awareness Day brings to light the importance of daily representation , especially within companies, as well as the debate around structural racism and the diversity practices adopted by each organization. Black consciousness day
In this article, we will explain the importance of representation and what the job market is like for black people. We will also present 10 of the many personalities who deserve to be recognized for their work. Enjoy reading
Black Consciousness Day and the importance of representation
The National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness , November 20, is a reference to the death of Zumbi, a leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares, which was the largest in the country and reached around 20,000 inhabitants, historically known as a symbol of black resistance .
The date, however, was only officially established by the Federal Government in 2011, through Law No. 12,519, that is, many years after he was murdered by the pioneers, a fact that occurred in 1695.
More than an achievement to be celebrated, it is a day to reflect on themes such as diversity and racial discrimination , which must be debated daily so that we can really promote change.
But we can’t fool ourselves: there is still a long way to go for our society to be more inclusive, since many prejudices have been rooted in Brazilian culture for years. Black consciousness day
Therefore, it is important to promote and value the African influence , which is present in religions, gastronomy, politics, vocabulary, education and dances, for example. This is why awareness is so necessary.
Importance of representativeness
After all, what is the importance of representation? The concept of representativeness has its origins in politics. In the simplest sense of the word, representativeness is the expression of the interests of a group, in the figure of a representative. It’s one speaking on behalf of the group.
But, this term encompasses more than that. Representativeness influences the formation of the identity of individuals in that group.
In other words, when a black person reaches the presidency, the most important position, in a power like the United States, allows itself to create subjectivity in the identity of black people that others can get there too, or occupy other prominent positions.
Talking about black representation is talking about the representation of people who are often ignored, whether by the media, politics or society as a whole.
Representativeness is important precisely because it inspires other black people to occupy positions of power and claim their spaces , both in the labor market and elsewhere.
job market for black people
Unfortunately, the job market can also be an environment of prejudice , especially for black people. Even in large companies, it is possible to notice the absence of blacks and, when present, it is usually in lower positions and/or less paid. Black consciousness day
The racism does not come today, but unfortunately, remains current. There are managers who preach diversity and, at the same time, say that hiring a black person is synonymous with “leveling out”, as we have seen recently.
In general, the difference is stark and is noticeable when a company has a majority of white employees. Regarding the position they occupy in institutions, black people are rarely in the leadership.
The study Social Inequalities by Color or Race , by the Brazilian Institute of Statistical Geography (IBGE), pointed out that a black woman earns 44% of what a white man earns. For black men this number is 56%.
But the inequalities in Brazilian education contribute to this divergence in the labor market. According to data from the IBGE Social Indicators Synthesis 2019 , of the 25.2% of young Brazilians who attended or had completed higher education in 2018, only 18.3% were black, against 36.1% white.
According to a survey carried out by the VAGAS.com portal, involving 52.4% of black users and 43.3% white, blacks are only in greater numbers in operational or technical jobs.
Also, directorships are held by only 0.7% of participating blacks, while 2% of whites were directors. In operational positions, on the other hand, the representation was expressive, of 47.6%. Black consciousness day
Finally, there were 3.4% of blacks as managers, 3.5% in a senior position and 6.3% working as a junior, with 8.3% being supervisors or coordinators of a team. The number of whites is 7%, 6%, 7% and 11%, respectively.
promoting diversity
To promote diversity in companies and ensure that everyone has opportunities, it is essential that managers and the HR department are prepared to welcome any type of person into the team without discrimination , regardless of gender, sexuality or skin color.
This will not happen without training all employees to make them aware of diversity practices. And, obviously, the practice needs to be effective and not a marketing action.
10 outstanding black personalities in their fields
There are thousands of black personalities that we could mention, precisely because there are many names of people who have and had a remarkable performance. Here, we will mention 10 people who have made (and are making) a difference in their professional areas and are examples of the importance of representation. Let’s meet them?
1. Carolina Maria de Jesus
Born in Minas Gerais in 1914, Carolina Maria de Jesus died in 1977, leaving as a legacy an extensive contribution to Brazilian literature, music and poetry . His best-known book, “Quarto de Evicção: Diário de Uma Favelada”, was published 17 years before his death.
As one of the first black writers in the country, Carolina’s texts are read around the world and are still studied by academics today. As a black woman, she overcame barriers and demonstrated enormous resilience throughout her life.
2. Lazarus Ramos
Considered one of the most influential Brazilians in the world by the United Nations (UN), Lázaro Ramos is internationally famous for his career as an actor, presenter, cameraman and writer of children’s literature.
Baiano, decided to be an actor at age 15 and pursued his dream, having his first experience in Bando de Teatro Olodum. But his recognition goes beyond borders : in 2007, he was nominated for an Emmy for playing Foguinho in the soap opera Cobras & Lagartos. Black consciousness day
3. Stacey Abrams
Stacey is a politician and lawyer, with a law degree from Yale University. In 2018, she ran for governor for the state of Georgia and, even though she didn’t win, has struggled for six years to register thousands of citizens and guarantee them the right to vote.
In this sense, she was responsible for registering more than 800,000 voters , 49% of whom were black people and 45% were under 30 years of age. Actively politically active, she writes both fiction and non-fiction.
4. Kamala Harris
Kamala was California’s first black attorney general and the first woman of Asian descent to hold a seat in the Senate. Now, she is the first woman to be a vice president of the United States.
With an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, their presence reinforces the importance of diversity in senior positions . She holds a BA in Arts from Howard University and a BA in Law from the University of California.
5. Barack Obama
The first black candidate to be elected president of the United States , Barack Obama trained as a lawyer at Harvard Law School and was also the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review magazine.
In his professional career, he has been a community organizer, civil rights lawyer and professor of constitutional law at the University of Chicago. As president, he promoted the rights of blacks and other minorities, such as the LGBT population and immigrants. Black consciousness day
6. Djamila Ribeiro
Philosopher, writer, academic, feminist, woman and black — Djamila Ribeiro holds a Master’s in Political Philosophy from the Federal University of São Paulo and is one of the biggest references in black activism today , with a strong presence in digital media.
In 2016, she was appointed Deputy Secretary for Human Rights and Citizenship of the city of São Paulo by the then mayor.
7. Erica Malunguinho
Founder of the urban quilombo Aparelha Luzia, created to encourage artistic and intellectual productions, Erica Malunguinho is an educator, activist, plastic artist, trans woman, black, from Pernambuco and works as a state deputy in São Paulo.
In addition, he holds a master’s degree in aesthetics and art history from the University of São Paulo. The many words that define her prove that the place of a trans and black woman is where she wants to be .
8. Katherine Johnson
You probably haven’t heard the name Katherine Jhonson, but she was an important black mathematician, physicist and space scientist who contributed to the development of many applications of computing at NASA.
There, she was a technical leader, where she witnessed and contributed to historic moments, such as the arrival of man on the moon. She was considered one of the hundred most inspiring and influential women by the BBC in 2016. Black consciousness day
9. Bozoma Saint John
Netflix’s new Marketing Director is a black woman and has worked for other large companies such as Endeavor, Apple, Uber and PepsiCo. She holds a BA in English from Wesleyan University and has been working in advertising and advertising ever since.
His hiring shows us that black people should take on leadership roles and how this is positive for organizations .
10. Milton Santos
Born in the interior of Bahia, Milton is still one of the great names in the country. He worked as a geographer, writer, scientist, university professor, journalist and lawyer, with a background in Law.
In addition, he did his doctorate in France, at the University of Strasbourg, and received his degree with a thesis on the center of the city of Salvador. Critic of the current capitalist system, he was the first and only geographer in Latin America to receive the Vautrin Lud prize , in 1994.
Now that we know a little more about these black personalities who have had remarkable trajectories, we understand the importance of representation and that the labor market for minorities needs to change.
