Anti-racist and afro-centered pedagogical strategies with high school students: participatory research essay

Abstract

This manuscript is a descriptive and reflective-participatory essay that aims to describe anti-racist and Afrocentric pedagogical strategies developed with high school public school students in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. The strategies were carried out as part of a study that seeks to discuss racism and its repercussions on the subjectivity of black individuals. Developed through participatory research, the strategies began with the selection of works produced by black individuals and the actions of the researchers, also supported by black epistemologies. In each meeting, a specific theme regarding black identity was discussed, using literary workshops as a resource. The group was divided into smaller teams to carry out the proposed tasks, which involved attentive listening to music or reading texts, and from there, they debated to answer some proposed questions. Later, they organized in a large circle for the conversation wheel, a moment when each group shared their thoughts on the activity. The implementation of these strategies generated engagement and identification of the class with the black theme, and it was possible to observe throughout the meetings speeches that demonstrated the subjects’ emancipation. It is considered that the strategies presented are applicable in various scenarios and can signal directions that contribute to an anti-racist and Afro-centered education.