RACIAL LITERACY: THE BEAUTY OF DIVERSITIES – LEARNING TO BE AND TO COEXIST MUNICIPALITY OF BENEVIDES – PARÁ

Abstract

In a context where differences are often met with strangeness and prejudice, educating for ethnic-racial and cultural diversity becomes an extremely important topic for forming citizens capable of respecting and engaging in dialogue with people and the world. Learning to be and learning to coexist are two fundamental pillars of education; therefore, helping children recognize the beauty of their own identity allows them to expand their perspective beyond themselves and discover that others also have unique beauties. Considering the roots of racism and its sociocultural persistence is a way to seek paths that give new meaning to our history, where we can embrace and value the richness of knowledge and practices that have color and ancestry, thereby contributing to a more socially just and humane world. The project’s general objective was to provide children with awareness of the beauty of diversities, considering the importance of each child in discovering their own identity, and, through self-recognition, expanding their perspective toward respectful coexistence with various racial diversities. The project was carried out in five stages. The process of strengthening each child’s identity was developed through dialogue, listening, and support, and culminated in Afro-Brazilian music and dance, theater with storytelling, and a photo exhibition—a celebration with the participation of the school community, including education staff and the children’s families.