From the right to material equality: an analysis of spatialities and dissonances in the material equality of racial quotas

Abstract

Affirmative action policies, particularly racial quotas, have been implemented in Brazil as a fundamental mechanism to correct historical inequalities and promote the inclusion of historically marginalized groups, such as the Black population, in spaces of power and education. The research aims to analyze the effectiveness of hetero-identification commissions in promoting material equality for Black people in public selection processes in the state of Pernambuco, evaluating their social impacts in a transversal and interdisciplinary manner. Hetero-identification commissions represent an institutional advance in the struggle for a more just and equitable society. By adopting phenotype as a central criterion, they recognize the specificity of Brazilian racism and direct the benefit of quotas to those who, due to their physical characteristics, are more vulnerable to discrimination. Although they face challenges inherent to the racial complexity of the country, such as the issue of mixed-race individuals and attempts at fraud, the adoption of practices of transparency, training, and diversity in their composition lends legitimacy to the process. The work of these commissions is, therefore, a fundamental pillar for the realization of substantive equality and an indispensable instrument in the effective fight against structural racism in Brazil.