Livre poderoso e autêntico: o significado dos cabelos crespos naturais na luta, autoestima e afirmação da identidade negra

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze how the media and schools contribute to reinforcing or deconstructing racial stereotypes, assessing their consequences for self-esteem and ethnic-racial belonging. The paper addresses media and school representations of curly and kinky hair, with an emphasis on the impacts of structural racism on the construction of the identity of black people, highlighting authors such as Nilma Lino Gomes, Bell Hooks and Stuart Hall, who discuss the construction of black identity in contexts permeated by racial and cultural inequalities. The historical and social context highlights how the media and the school environment perpetuate white supremacy and the marginalization of the black body. In the media, audiovisual products often portray black people in subordinate roles, making their diversity invisible. In schools, the standardization of Eurocentric aesthetic standards, such as the "good hair policy", affects the self-esteem of black children, in addition to reinforcing negative stigmas. Even with the implementation of Law 10.639/2003, which provides for the teaching of Afro-Brazilian history and culture, discriminatory pedagogical practices persist. Thus, it was possible to note that both the media and schools have the potential to act as agents of social transformation, but with the need for anti-racist education and public policies that promote the appreciation of black culture and the confrontation of structural racism. Continuing teacher training is highlighted as an essential path to deconstructing prejudices and creating an inclusive environment, capable of fostering respect for diversity and the construction of positive identities.