This year marks the 20th anniversary of Law 10.693/03, which makes the teaching of Afro-Brazilian history and culture mandatory in schools. Over the years, thanks to the tireless struggles of Black movements, we have begun to see changes in the status quo, but there is still much to be done.

A survey by the Alana and Geledés Institute showed that schools in 53% of Brazilian municipalities hold one-off activities on commemorative dates, while 18% do nothing at all. Only 29% of municipalities have schools that seek to make anti-racist discussions a regular part of their daily routine. If we are fighting for quality education and a more just country, we must embrace anti-racist education.

Alongside the family, school is the primary social setting where children encounter differences. Classrooms are essential for fostering reflection on the “truths” rooted in common sense. Anti-racist education is the responsibility of the entire school community and must be an ongoing part of daily life. This means that it is not enough to simply hold an activity on a specific day. Much more is needed.

I believe it is urgent to recognize that we are shaped by language that creates hierarchies among people. School is the ideal place to discuss racial issues and how they impact individuals’ development; to reflect on how discourses of meritocracy, racial democracy, and others have been particularly cruel to Black, poor, and less-educated populations. Representation is essential: our children need to know who paved the way for them. It does little good to talk about Black people in positions where white people are responsible for the key decisions. This is merely a repetition of the reality they experience.

It is equally important to remember that whiteness is a race. Let’s talk about white privilege and the spaces white people have occupied—for example, in textbooks and in the structure of each school subject. Education also means questioning the knowledge that is presented: why is it so racialized and Eurocentric? Where are the other non-white subjects in this body of knowledge? It is in this sense that I argue that, despite all the difficulties, schools play a central role in building an anti-racist education.

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*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bett Brasil.

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