Os desafios para o reconhecimento das intelectuais negras no ensino superior nordestino : barreiras simbólicas, estruturais e estratégias de resistência

Abstract

This study examined the challenges faced by Black women in Brazilian higher education regarding the recognition of their intellectual contributions, analyzing the symbolic and structural barriers that perpetuate their academic marginalization. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Black intellectuals such as Lélia Gonzalez, Neusa Souza, Sueli Carneiro, and Cida Bento, the study examines how racism and sexism intertwine to limit these women’s access to, retention in, and legitimization within the university. Intersectionality (race, gender, and class) and “escrevivência” (a concept coined by Conceição Evaristo) are central axes for understanding the strategies of resistance adopted by these intellectuals in spaces that are hegemonicly white and male. Methodologically, the research combines qualitative analysis (semi-structured interviews with Black undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, and alumni) and quantitative analysis (data on representation collected through questionnaires). Some of the results indicate that the delegitimization of non-Eurocentric knowledge, racial stereotyping, and material precariousness are recurring obstacles, but that academic collectives, support networks, and insurgent methodologies (such as autoethnography) have been fundamental in challenging these forms of exclusion. This research contributes to decolonial studies and the sociology of education by highlighting how epistemicide operates in the university setting, and by proposing reflections on equity policies that go beyond access and ensure the effective recognition of Black women’s intellectual contributions.