Abstract
Can we discuss humanization in health without bringing the expressions of racism in the health-ilness process to the centrality of the debate? Would it be possible to think of humanized care practices without considering structural and institutional racism in health? An affirmative answer to one of these questions reinforces the current myth of Brazilian racial democracy, which prevents us from recognizing or validating how much racism is alive in our society and produces unequal experiences of living, sickening, and dying for the black population, which accounts for more than 56% of the Brazilian population. In this article, in dialogue with Ayres’ production on Happiness Projects and healthcare, I seek to reflect on the production of health care in the Brazilian context, considering structural racism and the prevailing myth of racial democracy in the centrality of this care production. As a health institution aiming to ensure health as a right to citizenship, should we commit to projects of happiness or enable and support emancipation and freedom projects?
Key words:
Racism; Care; Health; Intersubjectivity