Abstract

AROCHA, Jaime et al. Elegguá and Respect for Afro-Colombians: An Experience with Teachers from Bogotá in the Cátedra de Estudios Afrocolombianos. rev.estud.soc. [online]. 2007, n.27, pp.94-105. ISSN 0123-885X.

In Colombia, invisibility and stereotyping are two important ways racism is practiced. The Afro-Colombian Studies Group of Colombia’s National University decided to counteract both of them by developing an on-going education program for teachers in Bogotá on the Afro-Colombian Studies Program included in Law 70 of 1993 for elementary and secondary schools in order to promote teaching about Africa and Afro-America as a way to struggle against discrimination. The group found that the pedagogical practices developed by the students and teachers improved the visibility of Africa and Afro-Colombia but at the cost of reinforcing entrenched stereotypes. This paradox highlights to the difficulties of overcoming four centuries of indoctrination favoring "white superiority." It also shows the need to redesign these courses in order to open up spaces for discussion and exchanging bibliographies. Deep transformations, however, will only be possible when research institutes for Afro-Colombian studies are created.

Keywords : Elementary and secondary-school teacher formation; Afro-Colombian Studies Program; invisibility; stereotyping; ethno-education.

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