Please forward this to as many folks as possible.

By: russell andrew jones


 (IN BRAZIL, ITS FIRST BLACK PROTEST MARCH WAS RECENTLY STAGED
 ON THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF A REBEL SLAVE.)

 V-O-A CORRESPONDENT GEORGE MEEK REPORTS FROM RIO DE JANEIRO THAT
 THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THAT RACISM IS A PROBLEM, AND WANTS TO
 DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

 ZUMBI ONLY RECENTLY WON A PLACE IN BRAZIL'S HISTORY BOOKS.  HE
 LED THE KINGDOM OF PALMARES, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN NORTHEASTERN
 BRAZIL BY RUNAWAY SLAVES, MOSTLY FROM ANGOLA.  WHEN THE
 PORTUGUESE FINALLY CAUGHT AND KILLED HIM IN 1695, THEY IMPALED
 HIS HEAD ON A STAKE AS A WARNING OF THE PUNISHMENT FOR REBELLION.

 SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED IN BRAZIL MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO, BUT ITS
 VESTIGES ARE STILL FELT BY BLACKS, WHO ACCOUNT FOR ONE-THIRD TO
 ONE-HALF OF THE COUNTRY'S 150-MILLION PEOPLE (...SOME ESTIMATES
 OF PERSONS OF AFRICAN DESCENT ARE AS HIGH AS 90-MILLION). ONE NEWSPAPER
 COLUMNIST CALLS BRAZIL A SOUTH AFRICA IN DISGUISE.

 ALTHOUGH MANY BRAZILIANS PRESENT THEIR COUNTRY AS A DEMOCRACY
 WHERE RACE DOES _NOT_ MATTER, PRESIDENT FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSO
 ADMITTED IN HIS WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS THIS WEEK THAT
 DISCRIMINATION IS A PROBLEM.

         " THE WORLD RECOGNIZES US AS A TOLERANT NATION.  BUT THE
          RIGHTS OF PART OF THE BRAZILIAN POPULATION ARE STILL
          _NOT_ FULLY RESPECTED.  IN BRAZIL, THERE IS STILL
          DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BLACKS.  THE TIME HAS COME TO
          FACE THIS PROBLEM WITH COURAGE AND DETERMINATION -- FACE
          IT WITH CONCRETE POLICIES.  AND WE HAVE BEGUN TO DO
          THIS. "

 PRESIDENT CARDOSO SAYS RACIST REFERENCES WILL _NO_ LONGER APPEAR
 IN PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS AS OF NEXT YEAR.  HE URGED POLICE
 _NOT_ TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST BLACKS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND HE
 SAID ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS MUST BE OBSERVED.

 MR. CARDOSO PRAISED COMPANIES THAT HAVE STARTED EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
 HIRING, AND SAID THIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL BRAZILIANS.  HE
 URGED THE MEDIA TO START PRESENTING BLACKS IN A MORE FAVORABLE
 LIGHT.

 THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS IN THE POLITICAL ARENA.  LAST YEAR
 TWO BLACK WOMEN WERE ELECTED TO THE FEDERAL SENATE.  BUT THE
 NORTHEASTERN CITY OF SALVADOR, WHICH IS 80-PERCENT BLACK, HAS
 NEVER HAD A BLACK MAYOR.

 BRAZIL'S SPORTS MINISTER, THE FOOTBALL HERO PELE, INCURRED THE
 WRATH OF POLITICIANS THIS WEEK WHEN HE SAID BLACKS SHOULD ELECT
 BLACKS TO CONGRESS BECAUSE POLITICS ARE CORRUPT AND BLACKS ARE
 NOT.  HIS OFFICE HASTILY ISSUED A DISCLAIMER, SAYING HE DID _NOT_
 MEAN THAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE ALL CORRUPT.

 THE RESPECTED NEWSPAPER "FOLHA DE SAO PAULO" SAYS PELE WAS
 ESSENTIALLY RIGHT.  IT SAYS BLACKS MUST GET TOGETHER AND VOTE FOR
 BLACKS OR THE COMPLEXION OF CONGRESS WILL REMAIN WHITE.