Memories of Coco dos Pniscos in the development of an anti-racist pedagogy in Assaré-CE

Abstract

This article deals with a study on the introduction of the Afro-Brazilian dance of the coconut genre in the school community of the city of Assaré – CE in the year 2023. The coconut dance is an Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage, present in several states of the country. Northeast and with a branch in the city of Assaré. As a heritage of Afro-Brazilian culture, this manifestation has its historical, social and territorial importance as part of the identity of the population and the place. However, due to social misunderstandings established by the Eurocentric and racist social system, this dance is not treated in the local school system. In this article we present it using the methodology of oral history with the use of interviews, breaking the barriers of silence surrounding this culture. This work is part of a master's degree research that is being developed around the history of the coconut dance in the locality. Local oral history, collected during this research, showed that during the 20th century there was a group of coconuts, known as: Coco dos Beliscos, which was of great relevance to the development of local culture. In the article, we deal with the research development models, mainly the way used to introduce the “Dança do Coco de Assaré” culture into the city’s school system. We consider the article as an original contribution on the pedagogical way of dealing with the memory and history of Afro-Brazilian manifestations within the scope of local education. One of the purposes of the work carried out was to discuss the students' belonging and identity appreciation.

Keywords: schooling; coconut dance; africanities.