Welcome everyone, to the newsletter of Aliança Negra pelo Fim da Violência [Black Women Alliance – All Against Violence] – a program comprised of civil organizations and networks led by Black women, social investors, ELAS+ Giving for Change, and the Ford Foundation. The group’s primary commitment is to effect a change in the impact that racism and racial violence produce on the Black population and on society as a whole.
The scenario of armed violence in the country is frightening and it directly affects the Black population. According to the Atlas of Violence (2021), from 2009 through 2017, the homicide rate for Blacks grew from 34.6 to 43.1 for every 100 thousand inhabitants. Over the same period, the rate for non-Black people decreased from 16.1 to 14.8. This indicates a policy of physical and symbolical extermination of the country’s largest social group, increasing their vulnerability both in situations involving ostensive confrontation with public security agents as well as in the judicial sphere.
In this space, we will share the actions and projects developed by Aliança Negra, on a weekly basis, and fortify the public debate over fundamental questions related to addressing this problem. The idea is to share our reflections on the necessity of building the participation of civil society in the formulation of laws and policies for public safety, advocacy, and social mobilization against violence. Additionally, we seek to attract new partners and increase awareness among other social actors to join us in the fight against this problem that is so relevant to the country.
Since racial violence is a problem with historical roots, we are counting on a collective battle and the support and trust of organizations that also have histories of battles and victories in the fight against racism, as well as the advancement of Black philanthropy from private social investors who feel a responsibility with their fellow Brazilians and, most importantly, in the actions of Black Women’s movements.
We strongly believe in the possibility for change in this context and in the affirmation that Black lives matter! We believe in the possibility for real advances in public policies, in the social debate, in the attainment of new partners, and in the construction of a movement for a different Brazil in the coming years. We believe that it is possible to build a country where families and communities are not destroyed by the deaths of Black children and youths as they are on their way to school, and where public security measures achieve their purpose of guaranteeing the safety of the Black population.