Translator (In)visibilities of Black People in the Jornal Curitibinha Escolar

Abstract

Translator        

This article critically analyzes the visual representation of Zumbi dos Palmares and Black people in the Jornal Curitibinha Escolar (1994–2000), focusing on a comic strip, through the lens of theorists such as Foucault, Hall, hooks, Panofsky, and Rose. The iconographic and discursive analysis reveals how these representations, though seemingly harmless, perpetuate racial stereotypes, depoliticize Black resistance, and reinforce historical narratives aligned with a colonialist logic. The figure of Zumbi, a symbol of struggle and emancipation, is depicted in a caricatured manner, stripped of his revolutionary role, and reduced to an apolitical cultural celebration. By employing Panofsky’s iconographic methodology and Foucault’s reflections on power and discourse, the study identifies visual and narrative mechanisms that sustain racial hierarchies in the educational imaginary. The analysis demonstrates that, by infantilizing and folklorizing Afro-Brazilian culture, these materials reproduce dynamics of erasure and marginalization, hindering a critical understanding of history and Black contributions. The research concludes that there is an urgent need to revise visual representations in educational materials to promote a decolonial iconography that values the complexity and resistance of Afro-Brazilian populations. The study underscores the need for a collective effort to integrate critical and inclusive narratives into education, combating structural and symbolic racism from the earliest stages of learning.