♪ My hair is really pretty—it’s an afro and it’s really black. João’s hair is pretty, too—it’s yellow and really straight ♫. The lyrics—written in simple language but infused with self-esteem and brimming with empowerment about different types of beauty—were the musical formula that teacher Allan Pevirguladez, from the Rio de Janeiro municipal school system, discovered to strengthen anti-racist educationwith his preschool class.

By introducing playful melodies and lyrics into the classroom, Pevirguladez created Antiracist Brazilian Children’s Popular Music (MPBIA), which he describes as “an artistic musical movement that seeks to empower our children and foster racial literacy through music and art.”

Teacher Pevirguladez’s teaching method was developed in 2022 and became known throughout Brazil after a video of him singing with his students went viral on social media.

“The first instance of racism I experienced as an early childhood educator was on my very first day with the students. A little girl said that her classmate was performing a macumba ritual, when he was actually just making a movement more akin to meditation. I was astonished to realize that a five-year-old girl was repeating a statement based on religious prejudice without having any idea what it actually meant,” reveals Pevirguladez.

Regarding the creation and inspiration behind the songs, Pevirguladez emphasized that MPBIA is a pioneering project. “It’s an unprecedented movement not only in Brazil, but I believe in world history as well. I didn’t find any other references or points of comparison in my research on anti-racism and racial literacy in childhood. MPBIA was born out of nothing, with no prior model or influence from another artist,” he says.

Pevirguladez emphasized that the students’ response is the barometer for determining whether the songs are achieving their goal or whether a new approach is needed. “When I introduce a song, I pay attention to their feedback, because it’s essential that the child feels at ease and comfortable. It can’t be something forced on them, something the child doesn’t want to participate in,” he says. He notes that when introducing a new song, he works with the students to explain the meaning of the lyrics in order to reinforce the message.

“MPBIA serves as an antidote to racist stereotypes because it offers 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds a sense of empowerment that will radically change the way they understand the world. When a child understands that their hair is beautiful, that their physical features are valuable, and that they are descended from kings and queens—not from enslaved people—it changes an entire narrative that would otherwise often be constructed,” emphasizes Pevirguladez.

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He adds: “When racism enters this child’s life—which will inevitably happen, because we live in a racist society—it won’t affect her as much, because her self-esteem and values as an individual within society have already been instilled within her and in her imagination.”

Janine Rodrigues, an expert in racial literacy, ethnic-racial relations, and anti-racism, emphasizes the importance of beginning anti-racist education in early childhood. “As an educator and psychoanalyst, I have participated in conferences, seminars, and research on early childhood, and I’ve noticed that this is a topic that receives little attention in work with young children. It is essential to develop language from the very beginning with the possibility of an anti-racist existence in mind. It is important to have a broader view of the world, to know that there is no single history—as the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie so aptly teaches us—but rather a plurality of people, stories, worlds, societies, and forms of knowledge,” she emphasizes.

Janine is the founder and CEO of Piraporiando - Education for Diversity, which creates experiences and content that combat racism, bullying, and prejudice while promoting gender equity; the organization is considered one of the 10 most important EdTech companies in Latin America. Regarding MPBIA, Janine notes that art is political—that is, it inspires critical thinking and a broader worldview, and it takes us beyond the ordinary.

“Anti-racism in art is essential so that, in addition to telling stories of pain (that are true and legitimate), we can build imaginaries that grow out of a narrative that goes beyond slavery,” says the founder and CEO of Piraporiando.

Anti-racist education has been the law for more than 20 years

Anti-racist education has been a priority for more than 20 years under Law 10.639/03 of 2003, which made the teaching of African and Afro-Brazilian history and culture mandatory in basic education. However, the situation in Brazil falls far short of this ideal world in which quality education based on equity—that is, education that provides equal opportunities for all—is a reality.

A survey conducted by the NGO Todos Pela Educação, released in July 2023, found that only half (50.1%) of the country’s public schools implemented anti-racism initiatives in 2021, the year the latest survey by the National Basic Education Assessment System (SAEB) was conducted.

According to the NGO, the number of schools with diversity-focused programs began to decline in 2015, when the rate had reached its highest level during that period: 75.6%. Since then, the numbers have plummeted.

In this regard, Professor Pevirguladez emphasized the urgent need to strengthen anti-racist practices and to implement Law 10.639/03 in schools. “Educational administrators and leaders need to be aware that enforcing the law is essential, not only for the eradication of racism, but also for a healthier coexistence and the harmonious development of our students and future society, because this is the foundation that will build this country in the years to come,” says the professor.

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From the educators’ perspective, the outlook isn’t very favorable either. A survey by the NGO Nova Escola, published by Valor Econômico in November 2023, revealed that although 87% of educators believe the concept is “extremely relevant,” 62% do not feel well-prepared to apply anti-racist teaching methods in the classroom, and only 14% report being familiar with well-established research in the field.

“Perhaps one thing that needs to be addressed in research like this is understanding how many educators actually understand what the concept is, how it applies, and what its foundations are. Working with schools across the country—both public and private—we see that what people know conceptually about anti-racist education is often far removed from what it actually is. And that’s often where the illusion that ‘everyone thinks it’s important’ begins,” says Janine. 

How can we provide training that incorporates anti-racist educational methodologies into teachers’ toolkits? The founder and CEO of Piraporiando believes that such training must include literacy, historical knowledge, and a deeper understanding of what whiteness was and is.

Drawing on her experience, Janine shared that, often, when her team begins an anti-racism training process, they observe that educators sometimes feel “awkward,” since they already have materials and certificates that claim they are anti-racist, and they are on the front lines of creating projects presented as “the solution.”

“Anti-racist education takes work, takes time, and causes discomfort. It’s about giving up many privileges. Teachers are very eager to do this, but they need time and quality resources. Many have to juggle endless tasks while still ‘finding a way’ to create an anti-racist project. They receive a massive amount of content, but no one considers when they’ll actually have time to read it. A successful methodology must include quality time, intentionality, metrics, patience, and care,” concludes Janine.

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