RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Over 25,000 candidates who ran in the 2016 election changed their race as declared to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) in this year’s election. Of this total, 40 percent ceased to be white and are now considered black.
A survey conducted by G1 shows that 10,454 candidates who had previously declared themselves white have decided to declare themselves black (the sum of mixed-race “pardo” and black “preto”), according to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) classification.
Together with Asians and Indigenous people who also began to declare themselves black, the number rises to 10,779 (or 42 percent of the total). The largest contingent is of whites who now claim to be mixed-race. There are now 9,944.
For specialists, there are three scenarios for changes in race/color classification among candidates: increased identification/awareness, filing error, and fraud.
Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Lewandowski ruled that the proportional division of resources and free electoral broadcast propaganda between black and white candidates will be effective in this year’s elections, which may have impacted the changes.
Assistant professor of political science at the University of Florida Andrew Janusz believes that “Brazilians are becoming more aware of their color.” “Although politicians and the population have begun to declare themselves black, I think they usually have different motives. White politicians often declare themselves black when it is electorally beneficial.”
But he says that, among the population, this is also due to higher education and greater access by people. “When individuals are schooled, they can empower themselves and embrace black identities.”
For UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) political science professor Cristiano Rodrigues, the trend is for more black people to run this year. “There have been several movements in recent years that have led to an increase in black applications,” he says. “One of them is the Marielle effect. She has become a symbol and has motivated several black people to enter politics.”
“This year, in particular, we have also seen the racial issue gain ground in the media and in public debate both in Brazil and abroad. And there is a reaction to the federal government, which has adopted positions that can be considered racist or that lead blacks not to feel represented.”
The G1 survey also shows that 8,365 candidates who declared themselves mixed-race now claim to be white. Another 3,319 who said they were mixed-race now declare themselves black. And 2,559 did the opposite: before they were black and now they are mixed-race.
There are also 294 candidates who declared themselves black and now come up as white. Another 510 who said they were white now fill out the form as blacks.
Rodrigues states that this can be partly explained by the classification system. “The classification system itself is fluid. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be like that. It should. It just sets precedents for some people to misuse it.”
“From black to mixed-race and vice-versa, it doesn’t change the official “negro” classification. What matters in terms of resource distribution is from white to mixed-race or black,” he says.
“The changes from black to mixed-race and from white to mixed-race concern the fluidity of the racial classification. The change from black to white is more complex. I suppose it is a problem in the filing process. And from white to black is an indication of fraud,” says Rodrigues.
Janusz states that preventing fraud in self-declarations is “very difficult”. “But I think, since the data is public, politicians will become more careful when declaring their race. If they realize that they can be punished by voters, they will stop doing that.”
Janusz considers the issue of a reserve of resources for blacks important, but he doesn’t think this is a definitive solution. “This is closing an important gap between whites and non-whites. However, I don’t think it’s enough.”
Color change?
The race in the electoral register of Kelps Lima (Solidarity), candidate for mayor of Natal, changed from white to black between 2016 and 2020. According to him, there was a mistake. “In 2016, there was a mistake in filling out the registration form. It was a party mistake. Before that, in 2014, I was already black. And then again, in 2018.”
Lima also claims that his self-declaration is unrelated to the TSE’s decision, since he declared himself black in past elections. Furthermore, he says that he gave up the electoral fund in the current election. “I announced on my social media 30 days ago that I will not use the electoral fund. It’s published,” he says. “My statement is unrelated to the quota. I have declared myself black since 2014.”
São Paulo city councilor Caio Miranda (DEM), who had his registration changed from white to mixed-race, also states that in his 2018 declaration, he was already listed as mixed-race.
“This form filling for the Electoral court is performed by the party. It is bureaucratic and not given much attention. In 2016, it was white because the party filled it out, not me,” he says.
“I changed it to mixed-race in 2018. I changed it, also because my parents gave me a hard time because I was white. They asked if I was denying my roots. But the party filled it out. In my case, it’s a matter of acknowledgment. My father is from Pernambuco, from the Northeast. He has black, indigenous, and even Jewish ancestry. My father’s family bears skin closest to mixed-race and black, and my mother is white. It’s a matter of identity,” says the city councilor.
“I changed in 2018, and I kept it until 2020. It has nothing to do with the quota. (…) There is a website that presents me as an opportunist. That has nothing to do with it.”
But the city councilor says he doesn’t see himself as a black man. According to the IBGE classification, both “pardos” and “pretos” are blacks (“negros”). “We work on the issue of racial identity in the country wrongly,” he says.
“I think it is legitimate to consider myself “pardo”, but I don’t consider myself “preto”, for instance. I don’t think it’s right for me to embrace the struggle. Although I may suffer from racism. When I was younger, I used to sunbathe and my skin would get more tanned, and my hair was very curly. So, depending on the social context, I have already suffered from racism.”
A candidate for reelection to the São Paulo City Council, Adilson Amadeu (DEM) also changed his record from white to mixed-race. But, according to his press office, the change was “a filling mistake in the register” and produced “stress in the office”.
“We have already asked the party to change this data, but we want to make it clear that it is unrelated to the quota or electoral fund,” he says.
City councilor Eliseu Kessler (PSD), who is also seeking reelection in the Rio de Janeiro Council, changed from mixed-race to white. “I didn’t intend to change the data. I filled out the current form automatically and without checking the preceding one.”
Methodology
The G1 survey was conducted from the most current candidate database available at the TSE, with 316,673 candidates. The 2016 round included 498,302 candidates. By cross-checking the CPF base, 102,462 candidates were found running in both elections. The data on which candidates changed the race from one election to another was then examined. The number found (25,991) represents 25 percent of the total. Candidates with the label “no information” in race/color were disregarded.
The G1 also cross-checked candidates who took part in the 2018 election and are now running in 2020. A total of 6,088 candidates were identified in both databases. Of the total, 1,438 candidates changed their official color. Again the largest group was that of candidates who had identified themselves as white and now identify themselves as mixed-race (518).
Source: G1