O Plano Nacional de Implementação das Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Educação das Relações Étnico-raciais e para o Ensino de História e Cultura Afro-brasileira e Africana e a ação da SMED-BH na promoção da igualdade racial na educação

Abstract

This research describes and assesses the development of the National Plan for the Implementation of National Curricular Guidelines for the Education of Ethnoracial Relations and for the Teaching of Afro-Brazilian and African History and Culture (Plan) in the city of Belo Horizonte. This Plan was introduced by the federal government in 2009 with the purpose of institutionalizing and fostering the practice of the mentioned Guidelines in Brazilian schools. Researchers from ethnoracial relations area (GOMES, 2009, 2012; GOMES e JESUS, 2013) and anti-racism activists identified several difficulties for the implementation of the Law 10.639/03, which determines the study of Afro-Brazilian and African history and culture as mandatory in both private and public elementary schools and high-schools - and includes the Black Awareness National Day in school calendar. The actions of Municipal Education Bureau of Belo Horizonte (Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Belo Horizonte - SMED-BH) were the focus of this analysis, mainly the initiatives from the Center for Ethnoracial Relations (Núcleo de Relações Étnico-raciais - NRER) on what concerns the implementation of the themes within the Plan in the period from 2004 to 2016. Assessment of the empirical evidence - document analysis and interviews - showed that most of the goals assigned by the Plan were achieved in Belo Horizonte. Research showed the existence of an institutionalization trajectory for the actions promoting ethnoracial diversity within SMED-BH, which took place before the existence of the Plan, what explains why the assigned goals were achieved. Still, this study also noted that the creation of the Plan did not have any repercussion upon the development of actions fighting racism in education, carried out by SMED-BH. Evidence led to the conclusion that the Plan was not a boosting factor for the actions promoting racial equality in Belo Horizonte. On the contrary, the historical context marked by the actions of NRER and by the power of black militancy in the city is a factor which explains the accomplishment of the goals assigned by the Plan in Belo Horizonte. In the light of studies on ethnoracial relations in Brazil (FERNANDES, 1965, 1972; FREYRE, 1933; GUIMARÃES, 1999; MAIO, 1999, 2014; MUNANGA, 2014; SCHWARCZ, 1999, 2006) research also showed associations among the local development of the Plan in Belo Horizonte and two guiding principles of conceptions about diversity and ethnoracial relations within the Brazilian society: the ideas of racial democracy and affirmative actions.