Da senzala ao quartinho de empregada: racismo e sexismo na identificação do trabalho escravo doméstico contemporâneo, a partir do caso Pereira da Silva

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of racism on the identification of contemporary domestic slave labor in Brazil, through the lens of intersecting oppressions, with racism serving as the central theme throughout the study. In this context, the research was conducted by examining the current state of contemporary slave labor in the country and looking back to the past to understand the present. The abolition of slavery in Brazil did not come with a plan to integrate the Black population into Brazilian society, leaving these individuals marginalized, without housing or food. Racism plays a crucial role in this process by subjugating the Black population and, in the case of Black women, further oppressing them and associating them with servile roles, such as domestic work. Moreover, racism acts as a key mechanism in the capitalist system, supporting its continued operation. The research focused on contemporary domestic slave labor in Brazil, examining its connections to both historical domestic slave labor and paid domestic work. In analyzing contemporary domestic slave labor, the study gave special attention to the civil action of case No. 1000612-76.2020.5.02.0053. This case is emblematic because, for the first time, it brought the issue to the Superior Labor Court, setting a precedent for similar future situations. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis, this research concluded that racism hinders the recognition of contemporary domestic slave labor by subjugating domestic workers, who are predominantly Black women, and normalizing violence against them. This entire process is reinforced by white supremacy and the legal system.