EDUCATION ON RACIAL RELATIONS AND WHITENESS: A CASE STUDY AMONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT LOCATED IN AREAS WITH DISTINCT RACIAL PROFILES (2026)
Education on Race Relations; Curriculum; Whiteness; Racial Identity; Federal District.
This research investigates whether the racial identity of schools located in areas with distinct racial profiles influences the construction of a curriculum committed to Education on Racial Relations, as per Law No. 10.639/03. The general objective is to understand this influence and its connections with anti-racist curricular and pedagogical practices. The specific objectives are: to examine the influence of the racial identity of administrators and teachers on the implementation of Law No. 10.639/03; to map and analyze prescribed and modeled curricula in two primary schools in the Federal District with distinct racial profiles; and to investigate how whiteness affects the construction of anti-racist curricular and pedagogical practices. It adopts a qualitative, exploratory approach, grounded in critical curriculum theory, the policy cycle, and intersectionality. The method is a case study, with a methodology that integrates exploratory document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observations in the school context. The results indicate that the implementation of Law No. 10.639/2003 occurs unevenly, conditioned by institutional mediations, professional training, and the racial identity of the subjects. The explicit suppression of Law No. 10.639/2003 in the curriculum was observed, contributing to its normative dilution. Whiteness operates as a structure that produces silences and resistance. As a technical product, a continuing education course is proposed to strengthen anti-racist curricula and promote racial equity. The findings highlight obstacles such as the fragility of continuing education, punctual and celebratory practices, religious racism, and conservative pressures, reinforcing the need for consistent institutional policies, critical professional development, and systematic monitoring of curricular implementation guided by Brazilian Education on Racial Relations.