On March 16, 2014, in Brazil’s slum village of Morro da Congonha favela, police officers in Brazil showed the world their inhumanity. 

Having shot Claudia Silva Ferreira in the neck and back, they threw her into the trunk of their car, leaving it open. Then, somewhere along the Intendente Magalhães highway, the 38-year-old mother of four’s allegedly dead body was seen being dragged along the street. 

The officers chose to ignore the cries of passers-by and fellow drivers who frantically drew attention to what was going on. 

And three days later, after being arrested for the horrific act, they were let go. 

According to the prosecutor, if Claudia, affectionately called Cacau by family and friends, was indeed dead as she was dragged, then no crime had been committed.

There’s no need to call respect into question here. The police officers obviously had none. But in addition, it later emerged that those involved had a history, with one lieutenant being attached to 63 known deaths. 

They had laughed during the confrontation with the deceased’s associates before taking her away. 

No Regard For Black Lives

The traumatic and angering event was further propagated when the media chose to refer to Claudia as “the woman who was dragged.” Calls to use her full name rose and people spoke out against the country’s military police. 

But justice remained out of reach in a country that still to this day endures unlawful and arbitrary killing by the police, heavily targeted towards poor, black Brazilians.

Black people make up 55% of the country’s population, and yet 84% of those the police killed in 2021 were black. 

The Brazilian police force is known to lie, plant weapons, and shoot unarmed victims a few extra times, to paint their own picture about what happened. 

In 2021, the Brazilian police killed 6, 133 people. In 2020, they killed 6,416 people despite COVID-19. It’s crucial to understand that black Brazilians are three times more likely than white Brazilians to be killed by police. 

Of course, the recurrence of such well-known events makes it obvious how high the corruption goes. By this point, the police could consider sparing lives without the worry of retaliation for making an unjustified attack. 

In other words, they continue to kill blacks in Brazil due to contempt and total disregard. And no longer because they have to cover up their tracks.

It’s no wonder the Democratic Erosion conducted a whole case study on Brazil’s systematic police brutality. The piece recognizes that the new policies will likely do little to change the numbers.

Actual empathy and listening to the people is the only thing that will make a difference.

Police Brutality Against Black Women and Black Mothers

In the United States, about 600 people die at law enforcement officers’ hands every year. While the number seems small in contrast to Brazil, there are barbaric unrecognized violations taking place under wraps. 

That of the invisible brutality officers commit against black women and black mothers. 

In one study, Michelle S. Jacobs notes: 

“Black women are subjected to every type of law enforcement violence imaginable… Black women are routinely brutalized by the police in ways that do not cause death.” 

Her exploration into Black women’s crisis reveals that, due to a corrupt history, Black women are less likely to report being raped by a white police officer. Who will believe her over him, after all? 

They often haven’t in the past.

Furthermore, black women are indirectly judged using the same stereotypes which were used to justify the ownership of slaves by so-called Christian whites.

That is, they were deemed “lascivious, wild creatures without morals.” After the Civil War, during the Jim Crow era, Black women continued to endure sexual assault with little to no legal protection.

Black Americans are still killed at double the rate of White people here in the United States. 

So why would we think there was, at any point, an abrupt end to the atrocities committed against Black women in this country by those sworn to protect its citizens? 

They have yet to stop brutalizing us. 

Health Repercussions on Pregnant Black Women and Mothers

And would it matter to their perpetrator if a Black woman is pregnant? Highly unlikely. 

For expecting and new Black mothers, not only do they have to beware of police brutality but of the stress ignited, and the resulting health issues. 

Northwestern University researched the effects of police misconduct on Black women’s health. The results showed adverse results. 

Black women, who suffer from higher rates of preterm delivery and heart disease, also more frequently report police violence in their communities. According to the research time, the two are linked. 

“The results suggest that police misconduct may have implications for health beginning at the earliest stages of development, which we know has important repercussions for long-term health.”

Remembering Breonna Taylor And Those Like Her

Of course, black women need to neither be arrested nor become pregnant to experience police brutality. The country recorded 89 women being killed by police in their homes since 2015 — 48 of whom were Black, and seven unarmed.

The death of Breonna Taylor, who was only 26, sparked one of the largest movements we’ve seen. Killed on March 13, 2020, during a botched night raid in her home, Breonna’s death ignited the #SayHerName rallies. 

Global Foundation For Girls now joins the voices of commemoration over the brutal death of Breonna Taylor. 

Although we have hosted community projects for over 10 years now, it wasn’t until the racial unrest — specifically, Breonna Taylor’s death — that we felt a call to formally register and officially launch our organization in June 2020, three months after her horrific death. 

We want to acknowledge that state and police violence against women, girls, birthing persons, trans-identified persons, and LGBTQ+ is a form of gender-based violence and a social justice crisis worldwide.

We must recognize that this disparity impacts black and brown bodies more than others.

It’s why the Global Foundation For Girls is hosting a US-Brazil collaboration: 21 Days of Activism Against Racism event in March. The event is free, with more details available here. Want to donate to our Foundation and help girls and women enduring violence throughout the world? You can do so here.