João Pessoa municipal government expands anti‑racism initiatives

On Brazil's National Day of Combating Racial Discrimination (3 May), the city of João Pessoa announced a set of new measures to strengthen racial equality. The Coordinadoria de Promoção da Igualdade Racial, led by coordinator Carla Wedler, will provide mental‑health care, legal aid and social support to victims of racial discrimination and to historically marginalized groups such as Black, Indigenous, quilombola, terreiro, Romani and riverine communities.

The office also runs educational and cultural programs, including the “Zumbi Vive – João Pessoa Ecoa Palmares” project and the “Juventude Negra Viva” plan, and has consolidated a municipal statute for racial equality. To improve reporting, the city has opened a dedicated channel in the “João Pessoa na Palma da Mão” mobile app for complaints of racism, racial slurs or religious intolerance. Wedler said, “O Dia Nacional de Combate ao Racismo não é apenas um marco no calendário, mas um chamado à consciência coletiva da nossa população.”