STRONG BLACK WOMAN WHO SHE IS

Abstract

The research described here had as general objective to analyze the narratives of black university women about their personal and social transformations from their higher education entering. In addition, the research had as specific objectives: a) to analyze the access and the integration process, as well as, the eventual difficulties experienced by black women within the university; b) to understand, through the black women's narratives, the self-representations, after entering into higher education and; c) to check if there was an expansion and / or modification of the ethnic-racial conscience based on the university experience.

The theoretical framework of this study covered the affirmative policies that contribute to a great insertion of black women in universities and the themes related to gender, race and class discrimination that affect black women in their daily lives. A qualitative research was conducted to achieve the proposed objectives. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 6 black women, aged between 20 and 30 years, from different courses at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC-MG), at São Gabriel campus. Results shows there is a modification and expansion of the ethnic-racial vision of these women after entering the university environment. It was found that academic background contributes to expansion of critical thoughts from these women, when they get involved with what is provided by the university, such as cultural and political exchange, education and interpersonal relationships. Finally, it is emphasized that esthetic changes, especially the hair transition, which occur with some of these black women, contribute to generate changes in their positions in the face of situations of prejudice and discrimination.