Throughout this piece about Afro-Brazilian Soccer, I learn about the Myth of Racial Democracy within Brazil’s society, especially inside the sports industry as a whole. The examination of inclusiveness and multiracial harmony within Brazil’s racial democracy was one large myth that often led to great pitches for racial syncretism within society as this approach was very media friendly. It was like the longstanding effects of Brazil’s structural issues that remained as a legacy of Brazilian slavery had all of a sudden been fixed and pushed under the rug. Throughout different writings, Freyre presented soccer in Brazil as a successful theory of racial democracy, even when the lives of Afro-Brazilian ball players told a different story in retrospect. According to a quote I found very interesting inside the passage, “Filho also noted that Carregal was “a real dandy on the field” who, despite working as a weaver at the Bangu Textile Factory, took care to look proper at all times on the pitch and maintain the new appearance of his gear”. I found this quote very interesting because the meaning behind the story of Filho’s remarks towards Carregal’s looks and fashion gave a very different perspective when understanding it’s cultural representation due to racial differences. According to the article, white teammates compared to those who are Afro-Brazilian can be seen wearing less formal, more casual dresswear as examined through the contrast of Carregal versus his higher social class teammate, William Procter. William Procter, White and coming from a successful, skilled electrician family is seen as at a higher social status and higher class due to their financial income and ethnic/racial background. Players such as Afro-Brazilian, Carregal, can be seen as perhaps pushed to perform all around at a higher standard among his processors, as he is African decent and comes from a lower economic household. Carregal is believed to have pushed himself to higher standards of living due to the cultural restrictions, cultural bias, and strict racial ethnic classes that still poses an important basis and aspect of society in the early 1900’s. As a soccer player, Afro-Brazilian players must hold themselves to higher standards to fit in and look representable/highly fashionable, so their presentation is accepted among racially biased viewers watching Brazilian Soccer.
-Joshua Joyce
