Racism in Brazil: The Danger of a New Car

There is no place in the world where there are as many deaths as in Brazil: 114 per day in 2019. Three out of every four victims are black Brazilians.

“There is a lot of racism here,” says Januario. Janurio believes that “people deal with it every day. They think it is normal. That is why the demonstrations here were relatively smaller than they were in the United States.”

The accident drastically changed the life of the Osasco family. Januario has already been compensated by the supermarket chain, but the Public Prosecution Office decided not to prosecute his assailants for racism. Ultimately, the six former guards were acquitted, after lengthy trials. Januario’s lawyer, Dougival Vieira, complains that it is a hallmark of racist incidents in Brazil. “Nobody in Brazil is imprisoned for racism.”

He bought an old barrel

Januário does not feel safe anywhere. “You have learned how as a black man you can live your life more safely. You have to make sure that you are not in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your clothes, your haircut, you always have to be careful that no one takes you for a criminal.”

For this reason, he got rid of his new car after the accident. “I bought an old barrel. I thought it was a solution, because with this old car nobody thought I was a car thief anymore. But I was wrong. Two months ago I stood on the side of the road with a head covering. The police thought I was trying to steal the car. Well only because I knew an officer. “