História da África e afrobrasileira na educação no Piemonte da Diamantina: aproximações entre estudos africanos, historiografia e práticas escolares

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the presence and the meanings attributed to the teaching of African History, Afro-Brazilian and African Culture in basic education within the Identity Territory of Piemonte da Diamantina (TIPD), in the state of Bahia, between 2003 and 2018. Taking as a reference Law No. 10.639/2003 and the National Curriculum Guidelines for the Education of Ethnic-Racial Relations, the research seeks to understand to what extent these legal frameworks have been appropriated and incorporated into the daily life of public schools, with special attention to the municipality of Jacobina and its area of influence. The investigation is grounded in the contributions of African Studies and African and Africanist historiography—produced both on the continent and in Brazil—as well as in the recognition of the centrality of the Black movement as a fundamental political subject in the formulation of the law and in the struggle over historical narratives in the school curriculum. The study adopts a qualitative approach using both documentary and empirical sources. It analyzes pedagogical projects from the History program at the State University of Bahia (UNEB), national curricular documents such as the National Curriculum Parameters (PCNs), to Law 10.639/2003. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with public school teachers (especially History teachers) and school administrators working in the region. The interviews were examined based on oral history methodology, according to Verena Alberti, and analyzed using content analysis as proposed by Laurence Bardin. The data reveal advances in the recognition of Afro-Brazilian history and culture in the curriculum, alongside significant challenges in implementation. Gaps remain in teacher training, difficulties in accessing appropriate teaching materials, and institutional resistance that limits the law's effectiveness. On the other hand, there are specific pedagogical initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to transforming history teaching and valuing African ancestry as a structuring dimension of national identity. By highlighting the tensions between legislation and school practices, this thesis contributes to the debate on educational policies related to ethnic-racial relations and reaffirms the importance of a critical approach to history that engages with Black epistemologies and the knowledge produced in peripheral educational territories.