A Copa do Mundo de 1958 e os discursos raciais

o caso Pelé

Abstract

The objective of the present article is to map out the racial discourses of the 1950s, particularly as these pertain to the 1958 Football World’s Cup, in order to better understand the main ideas about trace which were in vogue at the time when Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé) became (inter)nationally famous as a great sports star. Here, I argue that Pelé’s declarations regarding race and race relations in Brazil are informed by the discourses that were prevalent among academics and Brazil’s black activists during the 1950s. Pelé’s professional asceticism and his belief in individualism, cultivated during his youth in the city of Bauru, were further reinforced by the racial discourses of the ‘50s. These views led him to believe that any discrimination which he might encounter due to his color and class could be overcome with a disciplined and professional attitude. Today, this sort of ascetic view of the world has been accused by certain segments of Brazil’s black movements as being insufficient to overcome the supposedly irresolvable inequalities which exist between Brazil’s black and white populations. Pelé, however, has not changed his position regarding anti-black discrimination, choosing to continue to salient professionalism and discipline as two formidable tools in the fight against racially-based discrimination and inequality.
Keywords: 1958 World’s Cup; Pelé; racial discourse; black movements; intellectuals