‘It’s a Black Thing’: Offensive Quip Becomes a Rallying Cry in Brazil<br />Mr. Waack said that Globo is viscerally opposed to racism in all of its forms,<br />10, 2017<br />SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Black Brazilians have reappropriated an insulting quip by a prominent television anchorman, using his words — "It’s a black thing" — to draw attention to contributions of Brazilians of African ancestry<br />and to the lingering impact of racial subjugation in Brazil.<br />In the video, William Waack, an anchorman for Brazil’s largest television network, Globo, was preparing for a live shot<br />with a guest, with the White House in the background, while covering the presidential campaign in the United States.<br />The same day, shortly before Mr. Waack was scheduled to anchor a news show, Globo announced<br />that it had "removed" Mr. Waack until the situation could be clarified.<br />But others say the figures point to a different reality — Brazil is a country where the life expectancy of black men is considerably lower than for their white counterparts,<br />and where people of African descent earn 36 percent less than nonblack Brazilians.<br />In the case of Mr. Waack, a veteran journalist who gained the respect of his colleagues over the years with his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall<br />and numerous conflicts in the Middle East, Globo said it was in talks with him about what would happen next.
