Affirmative Action in Uruguay

• In Event: Anti-blackness in Latin America: Neo-liberalism, Urban Renewal, and Resistance

Abstract

Afrodescendant activists and allies succuessfully pushed affirmative action legislation through the Uruguayan Congress in 2013. On paper the legislation appears to be very encompassing and extensive, covering the areas of public policy, education, public service and outreach, and employment, among other areas. However, discussions with Afrodescendant activists indicate that both the implementation, and the rhetoric, surrounding the law have been inconsistent. This paper examines the introduction of the legislation, the process of its passage, and its current implementation. It also traces the ways in which the ethos and the implementation of the law have been swayed by the neoliberal framework in which it was enacted.

Author

• Erica E Townsend-Bell, Oklahoma State University