Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture

ABSTRACT: This lecture explores the question of Black political activism and racial representation in Brazilian politics. In the last 40 years, affirmative action, racial inequality, and racial discrimination have entered the national political agenda. Black activists have long demanded specific policies to improve the social, economic, and political situation of Afro-Brazilians. The implementation of affirmative action policies in higher education has emphasized the significance of race, class, and social inclusion. Black politicians and leaders are often the most committed defenders of affirmative action and pro-racial equality policies. This lecture will focus on leading Black activists and organizations and their demands for social change. Afro-Brazilians are dramatically underrepresented among Brazil’s political elite. This presentation will also examine the degree to which Black elected and appointed officials prioritize Afro-Brazilians in their work. Which political parties and states of the country have produced more Afro-Brazilian government officials? Workers’ Party/PT presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rouseff have appointed more Black cabinet members than other presidents. Despite advances in racial representation, Afro-Brazilians remain in a fragile socio-economic and political situation. Their concerns and welfare are not top priorities for Brazil’s most powerful and influential leaders.

BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Ollie Johnson is a scholar of Black political experiences across the Americas. He is a Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Wayne State University, where he has taught courses such as Black Social and Political Thought and Pan Africanism: Politics of the Black Diaspora. His primary fields of inquiry are African American, Afro-Brazilian, and Afro-Latin American politics, with particular expertise in Black political activism, representation, and the transnational dimensions of Black political movements. Dr. Johnson received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Brazilian Studies from Brown University, and a B.A. in Afro-American Studies and International Relations from Brown University. His research is published in numerous journal articles and book chapters, as well as in his authored and edited books, including Brazilian Party Politics and the Coup of 1964 (2001), Black Political