Justification

‘Culture is a combination of characteristics distintcly spiritual, material, intelectual and emotional that effectively characterize a society or a social group. It also as to do with arts and liturature, lifestyles, systems of values, traditions and beliefs’ (UNESCO)

In January of 2003, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, approved Law No. 10.639, which determined the inclusion of African and Afro-Brazilian Culture and History in Brazilian primary and middle schools teaching. This action, as we understand, is extremely important for a readjustment of the education in Brazil in relation to the contribution of African people in the formation of Brazilian culture. A historical mistake in Brazilian education is that, in the majority of cases, history has been taught through a European lense, without taking into account the science, philosophy and culture produced in Africa and the Diaspora in Brazil.

This Eurocentric vision creates a type of “invisibility” of Blacks in the society. The fact that most people don’t know Brazil is the second largest Black country in the world, losing first place only to Nigeria, and larger than all other African countries. Putting this into perspective, we must renew our Knowledge of these cultural riches and our Brazilian Cultural identity, and improve self esteem amongst Blacks. This is the model proposed by Afro Culture in the Schools as written in insertion of Law No. 10.639 for public and private education institutions.