Racism has become a prominent issue on the Brazilian congressional agenda since the November 19 brutal murder of 40-year-old black man João Alberto Freitas at the hands of white security guards at a supermarket in southern Brazil. Several lawmakers publicly condemned the incident, including the heads of both congressional chambers, Rodrigo Maia and Davi Alcolumbre. The lower house went a step further last week by establishing an external committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Freitas’ death.
The following day, the Senate approved a change to Brazil’s penal code to increase sentences for racially motivated violent crimes, which...
