Brazil is a country in which more than half the population identifies as Black or biracial, yet it has barely begun to deal with the impact that slavery had on the shaping of the country from its inception to today.
Recently, AP reports, a representative of the Bank of Brazil stood before a gathering of around 150 people at a forum to discuss the role the bank has played in a country whose legacy is inextricably linked to chattel slavery.
"Today's Bank of Brazil asks Black people for forgiveness," André Machado said to the audience at the Portela samba school in Rio de Janeiro."Directly or indirectly, all of Brazilian society should apologize to Black people for that sad moment in our history," he said, reading a statement to audience members.
Brazil is currently grappling with its past and believes that reparations may be the key toward reconciliation and a future in which all Brazilians feel as though they matter. Bank of Brazil is being investigated by public prosecutors for its historic links to the slave trade. It is the second largest bank in all of Latin America with $380 billion in assets.
Where Will The Investigation Go?
The investigation could lead prosecutors to make a recommendation, an agreement with, or the filing of legal action. They also invited Bank of Brazil officials to be proactive in starting a dialogue. Nearly 5 million people were removed from Africa and kidnapped to Brazil.
That's 12 times the number that were taken to mainland North America, according to estimates from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade database. Additionally, Brazil was the last country in the Western Hemisphere to end slavery, which occurred in 1888. The remnants of slavery tend to profoundly affect the descendants of the enslaved and formerly enslaved in most cultural systems.
Black and biracial Brazilias are at greater risk of poverty, imprisonment and to die a violent death than all other segments of Brazilian society.
Afro-Brazilians comprise one quarter of representatives in the Lower House of Congress, and make up only a third of all managerial positions, despite making up around 50% of the population.
In the United States, New York, California and Illinois have established task forces to review the matter of reparation. Furthermore, the African Union teamed with Caribbean nations to form an alliance to persuade European countries who benefited from slavery to pay for "historical mass crimes."
