ANTI-RACIST EDUCATION AND CRITICAL LITERACY: REFLECTIONS BASED ON THE SHORT STORY "MARIA" BY CONCEIÇÃO EVARISTO

Abstract

This article aimed to address the importance of anti-racist education associated with critical thinking in schools, using the short story "Maria," by Conceição Evaristo, from her book Olhos d'Água, as an analytical tool. It begins with the recognition that Brazilian society is still traversed by historical inequalities stemming from the process of enslavement, whose reflections manifest in structural racism. The study's general objective is to raise students' awareness of what racism is and the negative impacts it causes, highlighting that we live in a society still deeply marked by prejudice. The research adopts a qualitative approach, of the action-research type, developed with 9th-grade classes in a public school. Regarding the theoretical framework, this study relies on the contributions of authors such as Mass and Silva (2022), Gomes (2023), Cosson (2020), among others. The results indicate that the articulation between literary literacy and critical literacy favors the development of argumentation, empathy, and social awareness, in addition to strengthening the appreciation of Black identity in the school environment. It is concluded that Afro-Brazilian literature constitutes a relevant pedagogical tool for consolidating educational practices committed to racial equity and social transformation.