A importância da literatura africana no ensino da história e das culturas da África: a desconstrução da ideia de um continente genérico

Abstract

One of the greatest achievements of anti-racial battle in Brazil lies on the promulgation of Law 10.639/03, which establishes that, from there on, it is obligatory the inclusion of History of Africa and Africans in the institutions of Elementary Education and High School, both the private and public one, as well as the teaching of Afro-Brazilian Culture. Therefore, teachers are stimulated to teach by means of theoretical and practical researches that oppose the Eurocentric model of history held at schools as unmatched and sovereign. The resources to do so consist of pedagogical material and projects, which include the use of literature. We mean to emphasize the latter, as anartistic manifestation that, beside its aesthetic function, uses language as a means for communication and interaction, for spreading culture and for knowledge democratization. Thus, whether constituting a didactic or paradidactic material used teaching for approaching a subject. However, it is not uncommon at school libraries books that reproducestereotyped and widespread characterization of the African continent. In this sense, the present article intends to discuss, by means of the choice of some literary works, the alternative of privilege narratives produced by African writers, having as a reference to General History of Africa Collection, produced by UNESCO, and the guidelines of the Brazilian educational legislation.