Racial democracy

The phrase racial democracy, when used in the context of Brazilian history and politics, refers to the theory that Brazil has escaped or progressed past racial prejudice on account of its heavily multicultural and multi-ethnic population. First put forth in 1933 by Gilberto Freyre, a Brazilian sociologist, it has since been subjected to criticism. Scholars such as Hanchard and Fernandes contend that state-sponsored and popular enthusiasm for racial democracy creates an atmosphere of complacency and prevents the necessary actions from being taken to address actual racial inequities.