Police in Brazil announced on Wednesday that an investigation has been launched after two social media influencers posted videos of themselves giving black children gifts such as an inflatable chimpanzee and a banana, prompting accusations of “recreational racism.”
Kerollen Cunha and Nancy Goncalves, self-described mother-daughter influencers from Rio de Janeiro with a combined 17 million followers on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, posted videos in which Cunha approached black children on the street and asked them whether they would prefer money or a gift.
In one film, she gives a youngster the option between 10 reais (approximately $2) or a vibrant crimson parcel. The gift he selects contains a banana.
She requests, “Do you like it?”
“No,” is his response.
“Take a closer look. “I’m sure that pleases you,” she says.
In another, she offers a girl either 5 reais or a large, colorfully-wrapped package containing a stuffed monkey, then chuckles as the girl opens the box and discovers the monkey inside.
In that video, she is wearing the yellow uniform of the Brazilian national football team, which has become a symbol of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right political party.
Fayda Belo, a lawyer and advocate for black rights, condemned the videos as “recreational racism” in comments that went viral, igniting a tempest on the Internet.
How far can human inhumanity go? Belo stated on Instagram, where she has 3250,000 followers, that she is a model citizen.
Does anyone know how viciously these two individuals treated these children?
State prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro reported receiving 690 reports condemning the videos as a possible hate crime by Cunha and Goncalves, whose content frequently depicts them engaging in hoaxes, dispensing beauty advice, and attending Evangelical Christian church services and gospel concerts.
The race and hate crimes unit of the Rio police department has initiated an investigation, according to the department’s statement.
“The videos will be analyzed, and inquiries are underway to identify those involved and establish the facts,” they stated in a statement sent to AFP.
A counsel for Cunha and Goncalves said in a statement posted to their Instagram account that they were “shocked” by the allegations and “vehemently deny any form of racial discrimination.”
They did not respond promptly to a request for comment.
