African-affective Literature

Anti-Racism, Resistance, and Possible Affections in Children's Literary books

Resumo

The study of Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous cultures, one of the most important contemporary educational demands in Brazil, has been driven by black and indigenous movements and ratified through Acts 10.639/2003 and 11.645/2008. Children's literature opens up possibilities for aesthetically articulating Early Childhood Education and Ethnic-Racial Relations Education. This article aims to discuss how children's literature can be a space of resistance and creation of possible pathways for anti-racist education, in light of the concept of African-Affective literature as proposed by writer Sônia Rosa.  The qualitative methodology involves screening works with black protagonists, approved by the Programa Nacional do Livro e do Material Didático - PNLD 2022 - Educação Infantil, and selecting seven literary works for in-depth analysis. The results have evidenced that a growing number of literary works with black characters have been approved for inclusion in the collection of “PNLD Literário”, but the range of narratives featuring black protagonists remains rather limited. The reading and discussion of some selected works have highlighted the potential of African-affective literature to broaden children's repertoires, as it promotes positive, plural, and complex representations of black characters in a variety of plots that both diversify and value human experiences.Finally, it is possible to observe the importance of expanding literary collections that not only include black characters as a representation of ethnic-racial diversity, but that, above all, value black experiences, by inserting the characters into networks of affection and support.