Kamlager-Dove Leads Congressional Trip to Brazil to Deepen U.S.-Brazil Partnership to Combat Racial Discrimination

LOS ANGELES, CA—This past week, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) led a delegation of Members of Congress and representatives of U.S. civil society to Brazil to reinvigorate the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality (JAPER). JAPER—the first-ever bilateral agreement dedicated to combating racism—leverages partnerships between government and civil society actors to address racial and ethnic disparities and discrimination in Brazil and the United States.

The trip featured meetings with representatives of the Brazilian government and civil society leaders, where delegates discussed ways to reduce racial disparities across the four pillars of JAPER—access to healthcare, education, justice, and culture and memory. Leaders from both countries also exchanged best practices and strategies for implementing JAPER, including the need to allocate meaningful resources at the state and local levels.  

“I was honored to lead this trip and highlight the U.S.-Brazil partnership to combat racial inequality through JAPER,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “It was important to hear from Brazilian leadership and frontline civil society groups about the issues facing Afro-descendant communities in Brazil and witness the necessity of JAPER firsthand. This trip builds on the CBC’s legacy of advocating for U.S. foreign policy to empower the global African diaspora, and I hope it will invigorate a renewed commitment to JAPER in both the U.S. and Brazil.”

Notable engagements included meetings with Black Members of Parliament, Minister for Racial Equality Anielle Franco, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira. The delegation also visited Quilombo de Mesquita, a community of escaped formerly enslaved Africans whose descendants are still fighting for titles to their land, and Terreiro Axe Abassa de Ogum, a sacred place of worship for adherents of Afro-Brazilian religions who have experienced continued persecution.  

Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove was joined by Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), representatives from the Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and representatives from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Mothers Against Police Brutality, and the Center for International Relations at Howard University. 

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