Afroletrar-se em aulas de inglês: a poesia de Maya Angelou como prática de letramento literário e racial na EJA

Abstract

This study proposal aims to work with a Roda de Leitura in English Language (EL) classes at EJA, in a school in Minas Gerais State Education, in the city of Santa Luzia. The reading moments in EL classes aimed at critical discussion based on the identification of meanings present between the lines of the text, issues related to racism, gender and class. The text studied in class was the poem Still I Rise (1978), by the African-American poet Maya Angelou. The poem addresses discussions that reflect the social issues faced by the black community, also demonstrating a stance of resistance, belonging and black pride. The theoretical contribution that underpins this study has as its basic principle the potential of Literary and Racial Literacy (Ferreira, 2015; Espinheira Filho, 2020, Gonzaga, 2022). This is a reading practice in EL classes aimed at becoming aware of social standards and oppressions. We take literary reading in English classes as a means of interaction between the text, the mediating teacher and the production of meanings of students in the Elementary School class in Youth and Adult Education. Thus making it possible to contribute to reading training from the literary language and the forms that make up this particular type of writing. The methodology used was qualitative-based action research. Based on considerations of the results experienced by the Roda de Leitura, it is expected that the anti-racist pedagogical practice used has contributed to the formation of students' reading skills. We also produced an e-book, in order to share our experience and be appropriate to the context in which it will be used.