Institutionalizing ethnic-racial studies at UFABC: critical education, Black feminism, and curricular disputes

Abstract

This paper analyzes the experience of the mandatory course “Ethnic-Racial Studies” at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Brazil, highlighting it as an initiative that remains uncommon in Brazilian higher education. Introduced into the curricula of UFABC’s interdisciplinary Bachelor’s and Licentiate programs, the course represents an institutional commitment to critical education and to confronting structural racism. The paper examines how making ethnic-racial studies a mandatory component of the curriculum contributes to strengthening anti-racist education, enabling students from different fields to establish connections between race, class, gender, science, and the production of knowledge. Methodologically, the analysis draws on the experience of the course and on theoretical contributions from Black feminism,. The paper argues that the mandatory nature of the course expands discussions of race relations beyond specialized academic spaces and contributes to students’ ethical, political, and professional education. Finally, it discusses the importance of institutional policies aimed at increasing the presence of Black faculty members with specialized training in ethnic-racial studies. The paper concludes that consolidating anti-racist curricula requires not only formal curricular inclusion but also institutional conditions that ensure continuity, specialized teaching, and racial diversity within the university.