EDUCAR PARA AS RELAÇÕES ÉTNICO-RACIAIS NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL

REFLEXÕES SOBRE PRÁTICAS EDUCATIVAS QUE VALORIZEM HISTÓRIAS E CULTURAS AFRO-BRASILEIRAS E AFRICANAS

Abstract

Racial discrimination is a deeply rooted social practice in Brazil, whose persistence is manifested in a naturalized way in school spaces due to the structural racism that permeates society. In this sense, this article proposes a reflection on the relevance of teacher training and pedagogical practices committed to valuing ethnic-racial diversity from the early years of basic education. The central objective of this study is to discuss and analyze the specificities and possible articulations between education and Black identity, conceiving both as historically, socially, and culturally constituted categories. Based on a qualitative and descriptive approach, the work seeks to understand how the school can be configured as a space for recognition, acceptance, and celebration of differences, thus contributing to confronting racism and deconstructing stereotypes. It argues that early childhood education teachers play a fundamental role in the construction of positive identities, promoting a sense of ethnic-racial belonging and respect for cultural plurality. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that the effective implementation of education on ethnic-racial relations demands critical, reflective, and continuous teacher training, capable of integrating Afro-Brazilian and African histories and cultures as structuring dimensions of pedagogical practices and the school curriculum. For this education to effectively fulfill its function as a transformative social practice that seeks to promote equity and recognition, it is necessary to reflect on the teacher training process and on how theories and practices are articulated, both in training spaces and in the implementation of pedagogical actions.