Education, Art, and Community in Salvador

By ​Allison Parker

Students at Escola Aberta do Calabar

The city of Salvador is rich in culture, music, art, and dance. Prior to our departure to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, I learned about Brazil’s complex history and current social structures. The impact of colonization, slavery, and inequality that stands today is crucial to understanding Afro-Brazilian culture. Given the historical background of Brazil, Afro-Brazilians and Indigenous Brazilians are more likely to receive racial discrimination and experience social disparities.

The education system is just one of the spaces where discrimination is present. Jucy Silva, director of the Instituto Cultural Steve Biko, gave us students a lecture on the institute she runs, as well as their goal to combat racial discrimination. I learned that, in Brazil, there is one exam that matters in order to get into college. This intense requirement is only part of the struggle for Afro-Brazilian youth. From the 1980s-90s, universities were 80-90 percent white. (Silva, 2024). In 2005, the Federal University of Bahia reserved 45 percent of slots for public school students from low-income households. 85 percent of those slots were allocated to black and mixed students. (Oliveira, 2024). The Instituto Cultural Steve Biko is used to teach people about true history and Black consciousness. The program identifies the root of food insecurity, poverty, and low esteem and creates a new self-identity and self-love against structural racism. (Silva, 2024).

​I realized that universities and colleges do not accommodate or represent Black culture. For example, Afro-Brazilian students feel that they lose their culture while at university and have unequal expectations. Students from high-income families are expected to solely study, however, students from low-income families are expected to both study and work. This example shows how race intersects with education and economic factors. We also had the opportunity to visit the Escola Alberta do Calabar and interact with students there. A leader at the school helped us understand the difference between public and private schools, as well as the curriculum in federally run schools. Escola Alberta do Calabar is passionately led to teach the truth of Brazil while allowing for creativity in the classroom. Although they are underfunded by the government, they continue to grow and create a supportive space for the younger generation. 

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​Art surrounds and lives within the city of Salvador. Graffiti, murals, and tagging are common in Brazil and reflect the citizens and culture. Eder Muniz, a self-taught graffiti and mural artist, told us his story and the impact of art on the public. Many of the murals in Salvador reflected the vibrant and passionate culture of Afro-Brazilians, as well as representing the underrepresented. Muniz has created murals of black women that have been shown to impact single black mothers. In addition, his work incorporates animals, plants, and the elements of nature to remind us of the relationship we must keep with our environment. Within the world of graffiti and tagging, artists often receive penalties and even death for their artworks. Muniz mentions how black men are the most vulnerable in this art and profession. Artists risk their lives to protest through art. They aim to create a city that reflects their community, rather than the historical institutions that no longer reflect their current positions.

The wall of a house painted by a collective of taggers and graffiti artists in Salvador.

In relation to education and art, we visited Quilombo Kaonge during our trip to Cachoeira. As we learned about natural medicine and the power of community, I encountered a new mindset around education. I noticed that my culture can be centered around individual success, the gaining of resources, and pushing toward development. The speaker in the Quilombo community emphasized the importance of education, however, much can be learned just from our surrounding environment and community. I learned that development is not always a positive transition or change. Visiting the Quilombo community taught me how rewarding life is in unity with other people and the earth. And how wealthy the community is in relationships, health, mind, body, and soul. My experience abroad in Brazil will be a core memory in my life, which I will continue to reflect on and shape my perspective of my own and varying cultures. 

Sign at Kaonge Quilombo “I was born small, I'm big; I was born naked, I'm dressed; I was born poor, I'm rich; All I have was God who gave me. When I die, I don't take anything.”

Sources
Graffiti and Tour of Murals with Eder Muniz. May 31, 2024.

Lecture on Education and Race in Brazil with Jucy Silva. May 23, 2024.

Lecture at the Quilombo Kaonge. May 27, 2024.
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Oliveira, Rodrigo. “Affirmative Action in Brazil’s Higher Education System.” VoxDev, 14 Mar.     2024, voxdev.org/topic/education/affirmative-action-brazils-higher-education        system#:~:text=UFBA. Accessed 6 June 2024.