Home Is Where the Humanization Is: How a Peripheralized Teacher Challenged Racism in Brazil

• In Event: In Pursuit of Justice: Teachers of Color as Change Agents

Abstract

In this presentation, the epistemology and pedagogy of an Afro-Brazilian woman named Diva are discussed as a culturally sustaining praxis in the context of the transnational and feminist #BlackLivesMatter movement. Diva works to dismantle white supremacy in her roles as a preschool teacher, dollmaker, children’s book author, and mother. Findings come from ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2020, which included collecting narratives and videos, examining artifacts, and developing a continued relationship and solidarity. This presentation demonstrates a form of Black Brazilian culturally sustaining pedagogy and Black feminism, which can provide insight for educational policies, curricula, and teacher practice to move away from the white gaze toward racial equity, as exemplified by Diva’s praxis.

Author

• Marla R. Goins, University of Nevada - Las Vegas
  Presenting Author