this idea was eugenicist Renato Khel. Khel was influenced by aggressive eugenics policies that were being used in Germany and advocated for similar policies in Brazil, such as the sterilization of degenerates and criminals. However, the majority of the Brazilian population, including those within the eugenics community, were beginning to see miscegenation as a path to racial harmony. 1930s to 1980s: Brazil as a “Racial Democracy” As Brazilian society drew farther and farther away from ideas of racial purity, Gilberto Freye popularized the idea of Brazil as a racial democracy in his book The Masters and the Slaves. Freye's book transformed the idea of miscegenation into a positive part of Brazilian culture and national identity and it became widely accepted that Brazil's history of intermixing between races had rendered the country a post-racial society, as it would come to be hailed for many years to come. Importantly, the idea of racial democracy became central dogma to the military governments of 1964-1985. While it was in power, the military preferred to think of race as a non-issue and pushed the idea of a unified identity among all Brazilians in order to quell resistance. During military rule, racial democracy became a consensus among almost all Brazilians. The idea became so popular that the mentioning of race would become taboo and bringing up issues of race was deemed as racist. Some argue that the long consensus of Brazil as a racial democracy was what prevented the country from dealing with issues of race. In her article “From ‘Racial Democracy’ to Affirmative Action” Mala Htun argues that the unwillingness of the Brazilian government to define race prevented Afro-Brazilian rights organizations from forming and limited the group's political power. She also argues that refusing to acknowledge race created inaction that allowed for racism to continue. 1980s to present: The Emergence of a Race Conscious State The common narrative of Brazil as a racial democracy persisted until the 1990s. In 1985, military rule officially ended and the year marked the beginning of re-democratization. The public greatly influenced the writing of the 1988 constitution and black rights organization successfully petitioned for the inclusion of an anti-racist clause that would make racism a punishable offense. In the 1990s, with the reintroduction of democratic systems, the use of NGOs and international organizations brought color consciousness and issues of persisting racial inequality to the forefront of national discussions. In particular,