Welcome to the second largest Black nation in the world.
There's a reason Brazil is so Black.
That's more than 10 times the number of Africans the U.S.
kidnapped and enslaved.
In a nation
where Black women make up 26% of the population
and are the largest voting bloc, Black women only account
for around 5.6% of Brazil's representatives.
But for Black women, candidates like Renata,
fear is just fuel to fight back.
In a country where more than 50% of people
consider themselves Black or mixed race, Renata Souza is
one of the few Afro-Brazilian councilwomen running for reelection.
She says the first election generated a lot of personal threats,
forcing her out of two homes.
Renata and her husband, Xakal,
now have to live in an undisclosed location.
Renata was born in Maré,
the most populous favela in Rio de Janeiro.
More than 11 million Brazilians, mostly Black, live in favelas.
These marginalized neighborhoods are often dealing with poverty
as well as police- and gang-related violence.
And Renata’s mother has a reason to worry.
Renata can only get around the city in a bulletproof car
and with personal security.
The militias often control who is allowed to campaign in their territory.
These paramilitary groups started about two decades ago
as vigilantes trying to fend off drug traffickers from their neighborhoods.
Today, these militias, which include former and current
police officers, have claimed control of roughly 57% of Rio.
And drug traffickers run about 15% of the city, mostly in the favelas.
The rest are areas in dispute.
This year, Brazil will choose between the current
right-wing president and former army officer Jair Bolsonaro
and the leftist former trade union leader Inácio Lula da Silva.
Lula is known as Brazil's most popular president and has mounted a comeback
after corruption charges against him were annulled.
Renata, campaigning as an Afro-Brazilian woman,
comes with a devastating historical backdrop.
Brazil was the last nation in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery.
This is Cais do Valongo.
More enslaved Africans came through this port than anywhere else
in the Americas.
The racist legacy
of slavery and subsequent racial discrimination
still have ripple effects in the 21st century.
This long history of racism means that politics and wealth
are often controlled by a white ruling class.
As a woman campaigning on a progressive platform,
Renata knows she has to be willing to put up a fight
against right-wing candidates who have the support of armed militias.
And that can be a costly struggle.
Today, Renata is heading to a tribute event for her murdered close friend
and ally, Marielle Franco.
In March 2018, assailants killed the prominent queer
politician and her driver in a well-planned assassination.
A year later, two former police officers were charged in her killing.
Marielle’s murder caused an outpouring of grief
and anger globally.
Marielle was outspoken against the violent war on drugs
in the favelas where mass police raids often killed dozens of people,
including innocent bystanders.
Black people overwhelmingly face the brunt of police violence.
75% of those killed by Brazilian police
are Black.
In fact, according to a U.N.
report, police kill an Afro-Brazilian youth every 23 minutes.
The current right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, not only supports
the raids and arming police, but also calls for civilians
to bear arms.
Even today, the public doesn't know who ordered Marielle's assassination.
But many link Bolsonaro and his inner circle
to her killing.
But perhaps for Renata, it's inevitable
for her to wonder if she, too, will meet
the same fate.
While Renata is aware of the dangers, it doesn't stop her
from hitting the campaign trail.
The reality is that there is much work to do
for Black politicians like Renata to change the future of their country.
But they're not alone in their struggle.
Thousands of women have gathered in Ipanema for the Black Women's March.
This year's theme is supporting Black women candidates.