THE ABSENCE OF BLACK MANAGERS AS AN EXPRESSION OF STRUCTURAL RACISM IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between representation and school retention, focusing on the absence of Black school managers in public education as an expression of structural racism in Brazil. It is a qualitative study of a bibliographic and documentary nature, grounded in critical race theory and ethnic-racial education frameworks, as well as data produced by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP). The objective is to understand how the low representation of Black professionals in school management impacts the educational trajectories of Black students. The findings indicate that this absence is associated with historical inequalities in access, retention, and academic progression, as well as with underrepresentation in leadership positions and concentration in subordinate roles. The study concludes that increasing representation, combined with the implementation of public policies aimed at racial equity, is essential to promote school retention and to strengthen anti-racist education.