Whither the Struggle against Racism?

During the week of January 26 through 31, 2005, I attended the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. I was a member of the U.S. Grassroots Global Justice delegation of nearly 100 people. The 2005 forum is the fifth such gathering, and it was an incredible experience to be one of over 150,000 people seeking social justice, human rights, revolutionary change or multiple other possibilities. What was disappointing and well worth commenting on in this brief piece was the shadow presence of African people and the small space given to the issue of racism at the forum. Given the Brazilian roots of the World Social Forum, perhaps the absence of a deep interrogation of racism is understandable. Let me say more. Wealth is still highly concentrated in Brazil and color matters. Lula’s victory has not changed this. With privatization and the structural adjustment policies put into place by the IMF, the economic plight of Black Brazilians remains unchanged. On every indicator of social equality: wages, education, health, housing, etc. the Africans of Brazil are at the bottom of the social order. In a country with the largest African population outside the continent, these indicators exemplify the structural inequality and long-standing racism of the society.

The idea that Brazil is a “racial democracy” has long held sway. This idea mystifies the hard core racial realities of the society. Institutional and structural exclusion run deep for African people in Brazil. As the civil society en-meshes itself in Black Brazilian culture and aesthetics, the systematic exclusion of Black Brazilians remains. We know that racism is anchored materially and in the realm of ideology and culture. This is true throughout the African diaspora. While little attention was given to the complicated interplay of class, race, and gender at the World Social Forum, even still, incredible connections were made among the people in attendance. For example, the Black Brazilian favela organization, Congesco, is working with two community groups in Harlem: Picture the Homeless and Community Voices Heard. These African diaspora activists are working in alliance.

The World Social forum is held while the World Economic Forum is taking place. This year the WEF was held in exclusive venues in Switzerland. The dominant economic nations and corporations were discussing the global capitalist system which enriches so few. At the World Social Forum, Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, articulated the idea that a world without capitalist exploitation is possible. Indeed by bringing together activists, grass roots leaders, academics, NGOs, students and others from all over the world, the space offers a space to begin articulating that vision. This vision is about a world in which the resources of the earth are shared by all the people of the earth, rather than an elite few. But our challenge remains articulating the deep interconnectedness of racism, capitalism and patriarchal oppression. This forum work is yet to be done.

Nonetheless, people from all over the world are awakened to the unfairness of the current order and are mobilizing and organiz-ing for change.

Regional social forums are being planned for 2006. Plan-ning for a 2006 U.S. Social Forum has begun. The 2007 World Social Forum will likely be held in Africa.

Rose Brewer is a member of the BRC Coordinating Council.