THE 1924 HISTORICAL RESPONSE: RACIAL CONFLICTS AND THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL.

Abstract

This study analyzes the contribution of the 1924 Historical Response to understanding the racial disputes that shaped the consolidation of Brazilian football in the early twentieth century. It assumes that the organization of football reproduced exclusionary mechanisms embedded in Brazilian society, limiting the participation of Black players and members of the working classes. The research adopts a qualitative approach based on bibliographical and documentary methods, drawing on studies of race relations, the social history of football, and collective memory. The primary documentary source is the Historical Response issued by Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama to the Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Athleticos (AMEA). The findings indicate that the document goes beyond its administrative character, representing an important historical record of the social and racial conflicts that permeated Brazilian football at that time. The study concludes that the Historical Response remains a key reference for understanding exclusion, resistance, and the democratization of sport, while contributing to contemporary debates on racism in football.