Racial identity and identification of black students at UFMG: from the experience as evaluated to the role of evaluators in heteroidentification procedures

Abstract

The article analyzes the experiences of Black students entering through affirmative action quotas at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), focusing on

the subjective and identity-related impacts of racial heteroidentification procedures. The research starts with the following question: how do these students attribute meaning to their racial identity and identification based on their experiences in these procedures? Based on interviews and focus groups with fifteen quota students, the investigation reveals that these procedures produce ambiguous effects — ranging from insecurity and fear to identity strengthening. The theoretical framework engages with authors such as Frantz Fanon, Stuart Hall, Achille Mbembe, and Neusa Santos Souza to understand how structural racism shapes Black subjectivity. The results indicate that the experience in the identification boards, especially the transition from being assessed to becoming assessors, acts as an educational and political device, contributing to the reconfiguration of the students' racial identity and their role in the affirmative action policy. The research points to the need for institutional policies that consider the complexity of racial identity in higher education.