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Afro-descendants in Latin America

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VIDEO May 23, 2023

#EducationWithoutRacism



One in four Latin Americans identify themselves as people of African descent. They are one of the largest, yet least visible minorities in the region, comprising over 133 million people, the majority living in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.

Out of the total, 34 million are of school age and face inequalities in school. They achieve poorer learning outcomes and are more likely to drop out of the education system compared to their non-Afro-descendant peers.

Education is one of the best tools to break the cycle of chronic poverty that affects a large part of these households. However, even when they have access to education, they often do not benefit from the same quality, knowledge, skills, and economic gains that should be generated afterwards.

A new report analyzes what happens in classrooms and in textbooks, and points out that discriminatory representations of Afro-descendants in textbooks and classroom dynamics could contribute to high dropout rates, limiting their options and future employment opportunities.


REGIONAL AND LOCAL REPORTS

Report (May 2023)

Eliminating Afro-descendant exclusion in Latin America is vital for development, and education is the most powerful tool to bring about change.
REPORT (NOVEMBER 2022)

Despite social and economic advances over the past decades, racial inequality remains expressive and persistent in labor markets in Brazil.
Report (August 2018)

The objective of this study is to deepen the region understanding of the drivers behing the persistent exclusion of the afro-descendants, as a first step to design appropiate solutions.
Report (May 2020)

Uruguay is a regional leader in the path toward social inclusion. Sustained economic growth and redistributive policies have made it the most egalitarian country in Latin America. However, some groups are still excluded.

"The school textbooks in the region rarely represent the contributions and aspirations of the Afro-descendant population. More often, they tend to reinforce perspectives that may not be inherently negative, but that reproduce a limited and stereotypical view of their contributions to society, impacting the aspirations and perception of opportunities for Afro-descendant boys and girls."
foto de perfil de Carina Zeballos
Germ¨¢n Freire
Senior Social Development Specialist and author of the "Afro-descendants inclusion in Education" report

Key facts

The report "" highlights that Afro-descendants in Latin America are 2.5 times more likely to live in conditions of chronic poverty. Even with the same level of education and experience, they earn less than their non-Afro-descendant counterparts for the same type of work in all countries.

In the new study "," it is emphasized that discrimination in the classroom is one of the first forms of exclusion that thousands of Afro-descendant children and youth face in Latin America. The analysis highlights that Afro-descendants achieve poorer learning outcomes, are more likely to drop out of the education system early, have limited access to digital technologies, and have much lower returns in the labor market for the years invested in education.


Multimedia

The following are some of the contents generated by the World Bank with the voices, views and experiences of Afro-descendant communities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.


  • Education Without Racism

    In this video, Afro-descendant children and youth share in first person their reactions to exclusion and discrimination in the classroom, as well as their expectations for an #EducationWithoutRacism. (Campaign produced in 2023)

  • AFROLATINOS

    There are currently 133 million Afro-descendants in Latin America, representing a quarter of the region's population. This is a historically invisible minority, but something is changing thanks to the work of their representatives. (Campaign produced in 2018)

  • Afroperuanos

    Did you know that up to 70% of Afro-Peruvians do not seek medical attention for fear of being discriminated against? This video shows the pride of being Afro-descendant and highlights the diversity that exists in Peru today (Campaign produced in 2017)

  • AFRO-DESCENDANTS IN URUGUAY

    Afro-descendants are the largest minority in Uruguay but 20% of them still live below the poverty line. In this video, people from the Afro-Uruguayan community share their experiences, concerns and aspirations in order to build a more inclusive Uruguay (Campaign produced in 2020).