Racist Acts Can Get You Jailed In Brazil — If You’re Black

Brazilian funk singer Ludmilla has been the target of numerous racist remarks since she first broke onto the music scene in 2012 with the YouTube hit “Fala Mal de Mim.”

In one recent attack Ludmilla was called a “disgusting nigger” on Instagram. She reported the incident to authorities, and the offender is now facing up to 4 years in jail, thanks to Brazil’s anti-racism laws. However, while most people might assume the offender is white, he actually is Black, although he doesn’t consider himself to be. He also says he can’t be considered racist because his grandfather is Black.

This isn’t the first racist attack Ludmilla has faced. A white TV host once compared her hair to a Brillo pad. She sued the television station; however, not only was the host not fired, Ludmilla herself was banned from the network.

This Atlanta Black Star video highlights several racist attacks against one of Brazil’s own, Ludmilla.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top