A study published by the Center for Studies and Data on Racial Inequalities (Cedra) recommends “the expansion – and not the reduction – of racially targeted affirmative policies in higher education and the workforce in Santa Catarina, aiming to more rapidly eradicate racial inequalities.”
This recommendation opposes State Law No. 19,722 of 2026, which prohibits “in the state of Santa Catarina, the adoption of quota policies or any form of affirmative action, such as supplementary slots and similar measures for the admission of students or hiring of faculty, technicians, and any other professionals in public higher education institutions or those receiving public funds.”
The law, approved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Santa Catarina (Alesc), was sanctioned by Governor Jorginho Mello, affiliated with the Liberal Party (PL).
According to the state regulation, “exceptions to this prohibition include the reservation of slots for People with Disabilities (PWD), slots based solely on economic criteria, and slots for students from public state high schools.”
Marcelo Henrique Tragtenberg, one of the coordinators of the Cedra study, highlights this exception in the law. “They acknowledge the existence of inequalities but do not recognize that the situation particularly affects Black, quilombola, indigenous, or transgender people,” he said.
Tragtenberg assesses that the approval of the law has a political and ideological nature. “It stimulates the electoral base that is resistant to racial issues,” he asserts.
The expert regrets that the law was drafted, voted on, and sanctioned without prior study and without consulting civil society. “There was no public hearing,” he complains.
The Cedra study, titled Racial, Income, Work, and Education Inequalities in Santa Catarina and State Law No. 19,722/2026, evaluates that “the reduction or restriction of policies aimed at racial equity and expanding access for Black individuals to higher education will inevitably hinder, in the long term, their access to strategic positions in the labor market, contributing to the persistence of inequalities between Blacks and whites.”
Observing labor market data from 2012 to 2023, Cedra’s analysis noted that:
- the percentage of unemployed Black individuals was almost twice that of white individuals;
- Black individuals held half the presence in managerial positions in 2023 compared to their population weight;
- white individuals occupied almost 90% of these positions, while representing 76.3% of Santa Catarina’s population;
- the average income of Black individuals, considering all sources, was less than two-thirds of that of white individuals;
- even with higher education, Black individuals continued to earn less than whites. In 2023, Black individuals with higher education earned, on average, R$ 4,987.16 compared to R$ 5,824.52 for white individuals.
Cedra’s evaluation also attests to the effectiveness of affirmative policy in increasing the presence of more Black or mixed-race students in university education over a seven-year period:
- the presence of Black students in undergraduate courses rose from 8.8% in 2016 to 20.2% in 2023;
- considering higher education students of appropriate age (18 to 24 years) in undergraduate courses, there was an increase in the participation of Black individuals, from 7.7% to 15.7%, from 2016 to 2023.
According to a press release from Cedra, the study emphasizes that this growth did not occur spontaneously. “It is directly associated with the implementation of affirmative action policies in higher education, especially the racial quota system in the public sector and Prouni and Fies in the private sector.”
The day after Governor Jorginho Mello’s sanction, the Santa Catarina Judiciary decided to suspend the law. The regulation was also brought before the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in a direct action of unconstitutionality. The Adin began to be judged this Friday (10) by the Court’s virtual plenary.
Source: Agência Brasil.
Original published at O Cafezinho.
