[ AND WHAT IS AN ANTI-RACIST PEDAGOGY? ]
By Clarisse Brito
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The first question is to inquire about the need to reinforce the term, to qualify the educational revolution we are discussing as anti-racist.
Our society has been guided by a racist ideology. We can affirm that it is an ideology because we are talking about social practices that go through the economy, politics, culture, thus permeating institutions. Due to this permeation, responsibility falls on us, educators. School is one of the most influential social institutions in people's lives.
As part of the social mechanism, the school ends up being a territory where racism is deepened, as it is in this space that the construction of individuals' subjectivity and the reproduction of social imagery take place. At this point, Angela Davis's famous quote fits us like a glove: “It is not enough to take a stance against racist reproductions; it is necessary to act in deconstruction. This is being anti-racist.” It is about making decisions that promote the rupture of structures and marks of racism.
Image: Istock - Credits: Media Lens King
The first step in change is the recognition of your social position, taking ownership of your space of action. This is the much-debated concept of 'lugar de fala' (place of speech), disseminated by Djamila Ribeiro. This awareness is powerful for pedagogical action. As a black educator, I understand my role based on the construction of my identity and the experiences that made me realize the political act that is the presence of my body with its aesthetic elements in the place of knowledge.
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Another fundamental step for change and breaking social practices is the verbalization of terms such as 'black,' 'white,' 'whiteness,' 'racism,' and 'racist.' There is no way to dissipate what is not said, exposed.
After the process of awareness of one's social position comes the stage of reflection on practices that can actually break barriers and deconstruct perspectives, outlining a field of effective affirmative actions.
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I believe that anti-racist pedagogy occurs on a vast and complex backdrop, the construction of black esteem, and, in this scenario, significant paths configure the route of revolution, redefining the view of Africa, ancestral knowledge, the construction of national identity, through a commitment to and respect for the history of African and Afro-Brazilian peoples, and representation as the development of a new framework.
The path presented above is labyrinthine! Each trail carries racist stigmas from our society and civilizational milestones, constantly renewing their articulations to perpetuate such cruelty.
However, the school holds the most powerful tool for a social revolution: its influence on the development of subjectivity and the possibility of redefining our collective memory.
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