Black childhood in context: invisible, but present

Abstract

In Brazil, racism is culturally and historically in several classes of the Society. Considering that issue, this article shows a section of a Master’s Degree thesis which the purpose is analyzing to what extent the continuing education helps the childhood education teacher, who work with children from 0 to 3 years old, deal with racial differences in a Centro de Educação Infantil (CEI) [Childhood Educational Center], from the formative contribution of an ethnic-racial oriented pedagogical work, developed during Projeto Especial de Ação (PEA) [Special Project of Action]. The quality approach study was carried out with teachers who work in CEIs in the east zone of the city of São Paulo and who participated in a formative experience about ethnic-racial diversity in Projeto Especial de Ação (PEA) [Special Project of Action], in 2017 and 2018. As remarked in the analysis of that study, it was concluded that the teachers felt uncomfortable and unprepared to hold a discussion about racial issues in school environment, since, to most of them, silencing is still a problem. Another relevant aspect is that there is evidence of understanding about the theme, since it promoted reflection on racial discrimination and invisibility in pedagogical practices, however, the actions in practical situations and in everyday decisions are what truly determine if there has been learning or not.