Ações afirmativas, para quê? o que motiva escolas da rede privada a conceder bolsas para crianças negras?

Abstract

This study discusses affirmative action through the implementation of racially-based scholarships in private schools in São Paulo City. The research was guided by the hypothesis that while these schools, by adopting such measures, have increased diversity, they struggle to racially include scholarship students. Additionally, the portrayal of the school on social media as a diverse environment tends to attract more paying students. The mobilization of Black individuals in political organizations that have exposed racism and its characteristics throughout the 20th century in Brazil prompted the need for Brazilian education to focus on racial inclusion and reducing social inequalities rooted in race. This effort was highlighted in the advocacy and persuasion of societal sectors to implement affirmative action in universities over the past two decades. Some private schools, serving a clientele able to afford tuition equivalent to around five minimum wages, faced pressure from families desiring greater diversity among students. The murder of African American George Floyd in 2020 sparked waves of protests across Western countries, becoming a catalyst for stronger demands from families and initiating discussions with management teams, leading to the decision to implement racially-based scholarships in some of these schools. Data collection involved interviews with four administrators responsible for the scholarship programs in four private schools in São Paulo, and a review of social media content from these and other similar-profile schools concerning their public presentation on racial diversity. It was found that the Myth of Racial Democracy has been debunked, and schools are increasingly concerned with providing racial literacy to their staff and complying with Laws 10.639/03 and 11.645/08. The study identified the profile of these schools and their approach to implementing racially-based scholarships. Mills' work (2023) influenced the understanding of the racial contract in post-colonial societies, and Gomes' work (2017) supported the discussion on the Educator Black Movement