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In Brazil, A New Debate Over Color, Marion Lloyd

Marion Lloyd

In 2002, the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro made history by passing the first affirmative action law for its state universities. The law reserved 50% of spots for graduates of public high schools and Afrobrazilians. Advocates sited the need to redress historic discrimination and unequal access for elite public universities, while critics argued that the law fomented racism in a country with a long history of racial mixing.