The policy of reserving vacancies in universities and federal institutes of technical education at secondary level, instituted by Law No. 12.711/2012, was an important achievement of the social movements of black men and women fighting against the structural racism in society. Based on a survey of theoretical sources, which address the issue of racism that has engendered Brazilian society and the struggles of black movements, this study aimed to analyze the contribution of the Vacancy Reservation Policy on the academic and professional trajectory of black students, graduates and dropouts from integrated technical courses at IFPE, Campus Recife. To this end, the Institutional Vacancy Reservation Policy, established by Consup Resolution No. 41/2013, which regulated Law No. 12.711/2012 at the institution was the reference document. The research took a qualitative approach, using documentary research and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods. The participants in the interviews were black students who entered IFPE in the places reserved for black, mixed and indigenous students with a per capita income of up to 1.5 minimum wages (MW), between the 2013.2 and 2016.1 semesters. The interviews were conducted only with men, due to the low number of black women in the study group. It was observed that the IFPE's policy of reserving places is effective in terms of entry to integrated technical courses and that there is very little racial variation between the groups of reserved places without racial criteria when compared to the group of broad competition. In general, completion rates are low, but when comparing the groups with reserved places, with or without racial criteria, to the group with full competition, the difference is striking, with the situation of black students with a per capita income of up to 1.5 MW being more serious, especially for black female students. As for their trajectories at IFPE, the interviewees highlighted the difficulties in passing subjects, especially in the first few terms, leading to failures and consequent retention. The high level of retention was a determining factor in students dropping out, who used strategies such as ENEM grades or supplementary exams to finish high school and continue their studies or enter the world of work. However, despite not completing the courses, joining IFPE was considered important in the academic and professional lives of the interviewees, and was seen as a determining factor in their being in spaces normally occupied by white people, studying law, medicine or holding management positions, in a different trajectory to that of their parents. Directly or indirectly, joining the IF was decisive in breaking the generational cycle experienced by the interviewees, with a leap in the change of professional outlook patterns.