The inclusion of afro-colombian studies in the colombian school. The fight for non-racist education

Abstract

In 1977, during the First Congress of Black Cultures of the Americas, the need to include studies of African-American cultures in our school systems was proclaimed. Later, at the end of the 20th century, the organizations of black communities demanded some rules to start the teaching of Afro-Colombian studies in the school system. We are currently facing a complex and paradoxical scenario. On the one hand, Afro-Colombian studies constitute a field of expert knowledge that is cultivated in a special way in disciplines such as anthropology and history, and whose place of production is located in the main universities and research centers of the country. On the other hand, the standardized curricular model that prevails in our country does not include Afro-Colombian studies, although multicultural politics has recognized its mandatory teaching in all schools and educational centers in Colombia.