This paper examines the relationship between color and social ascension among the military police of Bahia, taking into consideration the life history of individual members of the police force, their trajectories in the police academy and their perceptions of racism dating back to their days as a cadet. It also presents data on the racial classification of officials holding the rank of colonel or higher. The data were obtained via questionnaires, yielding a "racial map of Bahian officials" over the period 1970-2005.
racial discrimination; social ascension; racism; Military Police (Bahia)