Brazil imported more African slaves than any other country during the Transatlantic slave trade. Today it has the largest black population in the Western hemisphere (roughly 50 percent of its 200 million residents identify as Black or mixed race), and a vibrant black culture. You would think the country would celebrate this, but it often doesn’t.
Anti-blackness is rife in Brazil and white Brazilians like Gisele Bundchen and Adriana Lima repeatedly presented as the face of the country.
This is why 21-year-old Raissa Santana’s Miss Brazil win is so significant. She is the first Black Ms. Brazil in 30 years, but only the second one in the country’s history.
Read more and see more photos here.
