Porto Alegre Becomes Brazil's First Capital to Approve Municipal Anti-Racist Education Policy
Porto Alegre has approved a groundbreaking municipal policy formalizing anti-racist education through Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous Educational Spaces, making it the first Brazilian capital to do so.
- • Porto Alegre City Council approved Project Law No. 519/25 establishing EEABIs as municipal policy.
- • The policy enforces federal laws mandating Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous history education in schools.
- • EEABIs will now be officially integrated into Porto Alegre’s public education system.
- • Councilwoman Grazi Oliveira called the approval a historic milestone for anti-racist education.
Key details
On November 11, 2025, the Porto Alegre City Council approved Project Law No. 519/25, a pioneering municipal policy establishing Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous Educational Spaces (EEABIs) to formally promote anti-racist education in the city's public schools. Authored by councilwoman Grazi Oliveira (PSOL), the legislation aims to strengthen ethnic-racial awareness, combat racial discrimination, and dismantle entrenched stereotypes and prejudices. It mandates the promotion and implementation of federal laws No. 10.639/03 and No. 11.645/08, which require the inclusion of Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous history and culture in Brazilian school curricula.
Previously, EEABIs were implemented within the Educational Programs Directorate but lacked formal integration as public policy. This approval not only institutionalizes EEABIs but also ensures continued training in anti-racist education, integration with school projects, and research activities. The initiative builds upon collective efforts starting from the 2018 Seminar of Black Educators at the Center for Black Reference.
Councilwoman Oliveira celebrated the milestone on social media, stating, "Porto Alegre will make history by becoming the first capital with a public policy for anti-racist education. This was a struggle built by many hands. Now, EEABIs are guaranteed by law." The policy positions Porto Alegre at the forefront of implementing a comprehensive municipal strategy aligned with over two decades of federal mandates on ethnic-racial education, marking a significant advancement in Brazil’s educational and political landscape.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.