The Heritage of the Indigenato in People Management: Invisible Barriers for the Black Man in Contemporary Public Administration

Abstract

This article analyzes how the exclusionary mechanisms of the colonial period (1926–1961) have transmuted into systemic barriers to public employment in the 21st century. It argues that Public Administration, both in Angola and Portugal, still operates under "ideal profile" paradigms that favor whiteness, the result of a historical construction that associated the term "Negro" with technical incapacity and "White" with administrative competence. According to Mbembe (2018), the "mark of the Black" was utilized as a seal of exclusion to justify a subaltern humanity whose utility was purely mechanical, a logic that continues to echo in contemporary selection processes that render Black talent invisible. Additionally, the study explores the persistence of this colonial "intent" (querência) within state bureaucracy, where meritocracy is frequently applied in a biased manner, ignoring disparities in accumulated historical capital. The paradigm of access to employment is not merely a question of technical qualification, but of an urgent "terminological disarmament." By maintaining the use of the term "Negro" as a metaphor for error or inefficiency, the "dark side" of administration, the public sector perpetuates a glass ceiling that hinders the full advancement of Black men. Therefore, the study proposes a profound reform in both institutional language and evaluation methods, aiming to dismantle this paradigm and rehabilitate the dignity of the color Black as a symbol of excellence and administrative leadership.