Mulheres do Povoado Vermelho, no município de Cavalcante, Goiás: um olhar sobre as propostas de alfabetização do governo de Goiás no espaço quilombola (2022)

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation and meanings of the Literacy and Family Project developed by the Goiás State Department of Education, focusing on quilombola women from Povoado Vermelho, in the municipality of Cavalcante, Goiás, Brazil. Grounded in a decolonial and intersectional perspective, the study aims to analyze the literacy experiences of these women within the scope of the project, in order to understand how access to reading and writing re-signifies their life trajectories, identities, and the exercise of citizenship. The qualitative investigation combined documentary analysis of public policies with semi-structured interviews and participant observation, prioritizing attentive listening to participants and valuing their narratives as producers of knowledge. The theoretical framework draws on scholars who examine education, race, and womanhood from decolonial and intersectional perspectives, including Arroyo (2004, 2017), Carneiro (2005), Collins and Bilge (2021), Freire (1979, 2021, 2024), Gomes (2005, 2007, 2017), hooks (2018), Munanga (2003), and Nascimento (2016). The findings reveal literacy as a multidimensional process of rehumanization, promoting: the recovery of dignity and self-esteem; the concrete exercise of autonomy in everyday life; the connection between learning, spirituality, and ancestry; the awakening of political consciousness and advocacy capacity; and the strengthening of community and intergenerational bonds. This experience highlights the potential of territorialized and dialogical educational policies to confront structural racism and epistemicide, transforming literacy into a tool for liberation and historical reparation. As an educational product, the documentary “When Literacy Meets Struggle: Narratives of Women from Povoado Vermelho, Literacy, and Life” was produced, linked to this Professional Master’s dissertation in Teaching in Basic Education, within the Graduate Program (Stricto Sensu) of the Center for Teaching and Applied Educational Research at the Federal University of Goiás (CEPAE/UFG). The documentary aims to promote scientific dissemination and foster critical reflection on quilombola education