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Article: da Silva, Benedita 1942–
- Article from:
- Contemporary Black Biography
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Gale Research Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Benedita da Silva 1942
–
Brazilian politician
At a Glance
…
Exception to the Rules
Entered Politics
Helped Draft Constitution
Ran for Mayor
Sources
“
Three times a minority
”
in a country where people are only beginning to admit racism is a force to be reckoned with, Benedita da Silva came from the bottom of society to assume a position of leadership in Brazilian politics.
Brazil is an ethnically diverse country in eastern central South America. An estimated 10 percent of its 150 million people are of African descent, and an additional third of the population is racially mixed. Yet in a nation with more blacks than any other except Nigeria, only nine elected ...