Claudine Guy, an icon that challenges us

With the appointment of Claudine Gay as the new president of Harvard University in the United States, another important symbol of changes has been created for all those who closely followed the profound transformations underway in the political, cultural and social environments in various societies. of the world, in search of the assertive influence of egalitarianism in relation to diversity, pluralism, and, above all, racial inclusion.

In its 368 years of activity, Harvard has only once been led by a woman, but never by a black woman. Claudine Gay was already drawing attention when, in 2006, she joined as Professor, and especially when, in 2018, she became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the prestigious and world-renowned American academic institution. Daughter of Haitian immigrants, her assumption refers to the justice of those who fight for their ideals and who make education their strongest tool in this struggle, but also for an environment that values ​​talent, strengthens equality and, above all, has the courage to change the artificial nature of things and to promote opportunities and social justice for all Regardless of color or race.

Interestingly, this has occurred more frequently and effectively in countries where blacks are minorities. For example, in the UK, where black people make up only 15% of the British population. There, at the end of 2022, former Prime Minister Liz Truss has, in an unprecedented and influential way, appointed blacks to the posts of Secretary of State and Economy as well. Powerful symbols intended to herald the new age and the imperative of honoring and including minorities to promote a more appropriate balance between economic democratic rhetoric and the monopolistic reality of exclusion.

In Guy’s case, along with the appointments of Katangi Pro to the Supreme Court, Karen Jean-Pierre as White House spokeswoman, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as UN ambassador, and General Lloyd Austin as defense secretary, the United States is once again making a difference, sharing rhetoric for practices and challenging other countries to do their duty. and the inclusion of black men and women in the highest positions of prestige and power, as a manifestation of rightness and justice.

In Brazil, where blacks constitute the majority of Brazilians, discussions and actions to raise and ensure the presence of blacks in prestigious positions are still in their infancy in the directorates of public and private universities, they do not exist even in the management of large institutions. Corporations are, above all, taboo in the judiciary and higher courts. More often than not, when they present themselves, they are opposed and even excluded on the basis of the most varied arguments that ultimately point to senseless institutional racism and racial discrimination. Such was the case of the black professor Carlos Alberto Dicoteli da Silva, the eminent graduate professor of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, who was decimated by the institution itself for not having the necessary skills and knowledge for the position, and now the famous and competent singer Margaret Menezes who are trying to bleed her into the public square as a result of the administrative dispute that destroys The majority of those who resort to the programs of the Ministry of Culture and Public Authority.

If symbols are the auspicious harbingers of something new to come, may it soon come on Brazilian soil and help implement transformations that, in the most diverse places in the world, promote appreciation, appreciation, inclusion and opportunity for those who have always been placed abroad. Long live gay, long live black talent anywhere in the world.