Police Violence Against the Black Community in Brazil and the United States

Black men in the United States between the ages of 18 to 44 are more than three times as likely to be killed by a police officer as white men of the same age. While Black men make up only about six percent of the U.S. population, last year they accounted for one-third of unarmed people killed by police.

In Brazil, where people of African descent make up nearly 53 percent of the population, a similar human rights crisis is underway. In 2016, police in Rio de Janeiro killed an average of five people per day. Violence in some favelas (slums) has threatened young people’s access to health and education as drug gangs and police exchange fire in the middle of communities. Police violence against Black communities is so grave it is often referred to as the genocide of Black people.

The Open Society Human Rights Initiative and Justice Roundtable hosted a conversation about racial justice and policing in these two countries.

Watch the video above for more on the shared experiences and challenges of Afro Brazilians and Afro Americans, or listen to audio below.