How the access to education dispels the myth of racial democracy

Abstract

This essay aims to show how education, particularly access to Higher Education, is an excellent indicator to dismantle the myth of racial democracy constituted in the Brazilian imaginary. Thus, the text is divided into three parts and conclusion. First, arguments about the idea of racial democracy are presented and discussed . Then, affirmative action policies are analyzed. Next, the possibilities of access to higher education by blacks are analyzed. In the conclusion, the article discusses the importance of policies to combat racial inequalities, highlighting a research agenda that would enable to understand to what extent affirmative policies would be able to change the Brazilian racial frame.