DA QUEBRADA À UNIVERSIDADE

Abstract

This article aims to analyze and reflect upon the life trajectory of Bárbara, a Black woman born and raised in the outskirts of Presidente Prudente, whose upward social mobility was achieved through education. Her story highlights how race, class, and territory intertwine in the construction of subjectivities and how structural racism directly and indirectly impacts the lives of Black people. The research, begun in 2023, stems from a partnership between the Unesp Black Research and Extension Groups at the Presidente Prudente and Rosana campuses and is grounded in the methodology of oral history. Narrating Bárbara’s experiences is a political choice for our research group, as her journey reveals both the pain inflicted by racism and the power of resistance and reinvention. In the outskirts, surrounded by her community, Bárbara felt she belonged; however, upon entering higher education, she faced displacement and invisibility that shaped her academic experience. Even so, her persistence at the university became a political act, reaffirming the importance of occupying spaces that had historically been denied to people like her. By sharing her reflections, Bárbara inspires us to link thought and action in a transformative praxis, demonstrating that education is a pathway to social mobility and the affirmation of Black identity. Her journey serves as a reference for new generations, calling upon us to value our history and knowledge, and to continue the struggle for a critical, democratic, and equitable society.