Aging, race, and inequalities: challenges and injustices in the experience of black elderly people in Brazil

The objective of this article is to analyze the intersections between aging, race, and inequalities, with a particular focus on the experiences of elderly Black individuals. It is a descriptive, exploratory case study with a qualitative approach, reflecting on the subjective trajectory of an elderly Black woman from Recife (Pernambuco), in the Northeast of Brazil. The methodology involved the use of a sociodemographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview, with the narratives submitted to Orlandi's discourse analysis, grounded in a psychoanalytic framework. The results highlighted that the persistent impacts of structural racism shape the existence, reality, and identity of the interviewed elderly Black person, reflecting an aging process marked by inequalities, prejudices, and discrimination. This study underscores the concern with the various barriers faced by elderly Black individuals, emphasizing the urgency of promoting effective and comprehensive public policies that break the entrenched structures of power and privilege that perpetuate inequalities.