After our final Portuguese class, our group had the opportunity to go to Steve Biko. It was a very profound experience to learn about an organization that includes political education surrounding the idea of Black consciousness from a Brazilian perspective. Everything that Steve Biko stands for is rooted in this sense of identity and community. The work that is done there is extremely important as it not only transfers the weight of racism from student to institution, but it also educates them in other subjects, which prepares them for college. As important as it is to know yourself it is also important to know Chemistry and Portuguese. While the focus of the program is college readiness, there is an important role Biko plays in ensuring that the community is educated outside of school.
Vendors seen on the way to Biko
The presentation sparked a little curiosity in me. The education there is very encompassing of diasporic history, class consciousness, gender and sexuality. This sort of political education is something that many do not even know they don’t have access to. It reminds me of the saying “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Some of these things are only taught once an individual gets to college, and even there, depending on the curriculum the subject maybe isn’t fully explored, or is explored through a perspective that limits the conversation.
The things taught at Steve Biko are important, but they are taught with the intention of getting young adults into university. While college is important, I wonder what this sort of resource for working class individuals could accomplish. What would happen if people who didn’t want to go to college had the means to attain quality education without schooling? SUS has programs like CAPS that train people in the community to aid in mental healthcare. What would it look like to train everyday people to be engineers? Is this an attainable idea? Could this sort of education lead to more sustainable communities or am I spewing unrealistic utopian nonsense?
Steve Biko works to give opportunities to students who want to achieve some level of social ascension by increasing their wealth through education. Steve Biko’s work is important, I just wonder how it could work to create opportunities among lower class people to have sustainable communities. I enjoyed the trip there and think that what they’re doing is extremely powerful. I hope I can be a part of something equally beautiful back in America. Walking out I thought, just like everywhere else we’ve visited, how much I will miss this place. But then I remembered I am coming back. I am looking forward to seeing what Steve Biko accomplishes in the future, and I hope to talvez um dia be of service to their cause.