Body-memory and pedagogies of cracks

quilombola counter-narratives as forces that un(educate)

Abstract

This article investigates how quilombola counter-narratives, anchored in body-memory and the pedagogies of gaps experienced by Tinho, operate as dis(educative) forces that destabilize hegemonic ways of knowing and being. The research is based on observations and experiences within the community, as well as in-depth interviews and escrevivência, a concept developed by Conceição Evaristo. Escrevivência is manifested through letters sent by Tinho, in which he shares deep aspects of the lived experiences in the community, weaving a counter-narrative that confronts the coloniality of power, knowledge, and nature—structures that have historically marginalized black and indigenous populations. In this context, the locus of enunciation is understood as a space that is simultaneously political and epistemic. It emphasizes knowledge generated from bodily experiences, ancestries, subjectivities, affectivities, emotions, and identities. This knowledge contrasts with the abstract universalism that presents itself as neutral but, in reality, conceals power and domination relations. Thus, existing, being, being present, and claiming one's identity, culture, and knowledge become acts of resistance and affirmation that transcend the ontological dimension, thus assuming an onto-epistemological character.