Race and land: implications of land-based racism on urban segregation in Fortaleza-CE

Abstract

Among the various faces of racial disparities in Brazil, it is worth highlighting those that have long marked the way the black population is distributed and inserted into urban spaces deserve attention, the origins of which come from a long historical process of racial segregation dating back to the period of slavery. The precariousness of favela territories compared to upscale areas of the city reveals disparities not only of class but also of color. Understanding land racism as an articulated network of actions, promoted by institutions formed by whites, which hinder access to land by the black and indigenous populations, this research aims to investigate its consequences on land distribution and urban segregation in Fortaleza, Ceará. This phenomenon, more frequently reported in other cities, finds similarities and particularities in the history of Ceará and Fortaleza. The results reveal the territorial repercussions of centuries of land racism in the city, demonstrating the concentration of self-declared black and indigenous populations in peripheral and lower-income neighborhoods, especially in precarious informal settlements.