This paper aims to characterize the actors and analyze their participation in the formulation of Health Policies for the Black Population (PSPN) in the city of Salvador, Brazil, between 2005 and 2006. Document review and interviews with key informants and representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in the process were performed. The results describe the characteristics of the actors and analyze their ties to organizations and trajectories in the Black Movement. Then it discusses the forms of actors' participation in the pre-decision and the decision regarding the PSPN, preparing the Municipal Health Plan 2006-2009 process. We conclude that the institutional political context during the study period set a "window of opportunity" for a heterogeneous set of actors, who shared the mobilization around the issue of health of the black population, articulated within the municipal health secretariat and included the issue on the political agenda in any municipality which largely delineated the characteristics of this process and its products.
political actors; formulation of policies; health of the black population