‘It’s a Black Thing’: Offensive Quip Becomes a Rallying Cry in Brazil
Mr. Waack said that Globo is viscerally opposed to racism in all of its forms,
10, 2017
SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Black Brazilians have reappropriated an insulting quip by a prominent television anchorman, using his words — "It’s a black thing" — to draw attention to contributions of Brazilians of African ancestry
and to the lingering impact of racial subjugation in Brazil.
In the video, William Waack, an anchorman for Brazil’s largest television network, Globo, was preparing for a live shot
with a guest, with the White House in the background, while covering the presidential campaign in the United States.
The same day, shortly before Mr. Waack was scheduled to anchor a news show, Globo announced
that it had "removed" Mr. Waack until the situation could be clarified.
But others say the figures point to a different reality — Brazil is a country where the life expectancy of black men is considerably lower than for their white counterparts,
and where people of African descent earn 36 percent less than nonblack Brazilians.
In the case of Mr. Waack, a veteran journalist who gained the respect of his colleagues over the years with his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall
and numerous conflicts in the Middle East, Globo said it was in talks with him about what would happen next.