The relationship between class and race in the favelas and ghettos of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and New York City, NY, respectively, have significant impacts on processes of political empowerment among those living there. While social class is more diversely distributed in the ghetto, favelas are heterogeneous classwise with little variation. In the ghettos, social movements are race-based and come out in a depoliticized form. In favelas, social movements are based on class identity that enabled development of a political agenda to wrest policy concessions. Demographic features of poor urban blacks are discussed.
