In 2003 and 2008, two federal laws were passed which require the teaching of Afro-Brazilian and indigenous history and culture in all primary and secondary schools in Brazil. Since then, however, little progress has been made with respect to the implementation of these mandates. As part of a broader initiative of universities, NGOs, schools, government officials, and antiracist activists in the city of Belem, this Task Force offers concrete teaching goals and strategies for educators and schools attempting to implement these anti-racist education policies.
ISSUE DESCRIPTION
While racism exists and plays a dramatic role in Brazil’s social structure, most people do not acknowledge its presence, choosing to attribute existing inequalities to matters of class rather than race.
Our goal: Help students to better understand how racism manifests in coded and institutional forms and demonstrate for students how racism undergirds social inequalities, economic development, and environmental destruction.
Negative stereotypes and narratives about Afro Brazilian and Indigenous groups prevent them from having access to all parts of society.
Our goal: Identify and critique the myriad of demeaning and extremely racist stereotypes and symbols of blackness and indigeneity that circulate widely in Brazil.
Failure to recognize these factors, especially within the education sector creates a cyclical pattern of racism as children continue to be indoctrinated with these views.
Our goal: Give students to the tools to be effective
