Whiteness and Education: Initial Notes for an Antiracist Pedagogy

Abstract

This article offers a critical reflection on whiteness as a social and historical construct, considering the following question: what are the effects of whiteness on the formulation of education, history, curriculum, and the constitution of the white subject itself in Brazil? The general objective was to analyze whiteness as a structuring element of social norms and national projects, questioning its invisibility and the false notion of racial neutrality. The research is theoretical in nature, with a qualitative approach, and based on dialogue between different authors. The results of this reflection demonstrate that whiteness, by maintaining itself as a universal reference, impacts the way knowledge is organized and transmitted, naturalizing racial privileges and hierarchies. Consequently, the urgent need to develop anti-racist pedagogical perspectives that contribute to broadening the understanding of racial dynamics and fostering strategies aimed at promoting racial equality and social justice is highlighted.