Margarida lost by a landslide. Margarida's story of racial discrimination is not isolated to the rural areas of the Northeast. Every day millions of Afro-Brazilians experience racism. From the family living room, where darker skinned children are often discriminated against, to Church pews, barbershops, classrooms, and the Halls of Congress, racism gnaws at the fabric of Brazilian society. Racial Democracy, coined by the Brazilian Sociologist Gilberto Freyre in early 20th century, is the theory that a history of extended miscegenation has created a cultural melange in which all races are equally valued.
Nothing is farther from the truth in contemporary Brazil.
Race in Brazil is complex and distinct. Most Brazilians claim a mixed African, European, and indigenous ancestry. Calling someone black, for many, is still an insult. Skin color profoundly influences life chances. According to a 1992 study by Carlos Hasenbalg and Nelson do Valle Silva, Brazilian non-whites are three times more likely than whites to be illiterate.