The majority of Brazilians state that skin color does not interfere in romantic and friendly relationships, according to a Datafolha survey conducted in 111 cities, with an 85% agreement for both. When responses are analyzed based on the self-declared race of the participants, there are changes in the numbers. For 33% of those who identify as black, color affects romantic relationships, compared to 13% of browns and 8% of whites.
"We, black people, feel the weight of the racialization of relationships," says Luiza Mandela, a master's graduate in ethnic-racial relations. Regarding gender, Datafolha shows that among black women, 39% claim racial interference in relationships, compared to 13% among brown women and 9% among white women. Meanwhile, 26% of black men affirm the influence of skin color.
The responses regarding friendship also change along racial lines. For 33% of self-declared black women, color interferes in relationships, while among black men, the figure is 26%.