This article is an analysis of the relationships between ethnic-racial inequalities and the political dynamics of establishing quilombo communities. The source material is based on an anthropological study done in the community called Manoel do Rego (Canguçu, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul). The methodology consisted of finding records and documents about the community's history, of holding interviews with the different "generations" who belong to it, and of a participatory observation of the main events which mobilize the community and its "neighbors." The study demonstrated that the changes which occurred in situations of social inequality resulted from the political dynamics of "category power" which involved mediation processes in religion, family and associations, confirming the importance of the political dimension in the analysis of the processes of identity affirmation in such communities.
Political Anthropology; Quilombola Communities; Identity; Mediation