Teaching the unrepaired past as repair in Latin America and the Caribbean

An analysis of educational initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean highlights the use of truth-telling within educational spaces as a mechanism for repair and reparation. The focus is on Afro-descendant perspectives, emphasizing curriculum transformation, anti-racist pedagogy, and institutional accountability. The author advocates for educational reforms that extend beyond merely including previously omitted histories, urging institutions to actively address their role in perpetuating historical denial, epistemic violence, and colonial narratives.

Why it matters

This approach is strategically important as it addresses the foundational role of education in shaping societal narratives and identity. By confronting historical injustices and their ongoing reproduction within educational systems, it seeks to foster a more equitable and inclusive future, impacting social cohesion and development.

Key insights

• Educational truth-telling initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean serve as a form of repair and reparation.
• Afro-descendant imaginings are central to proposed curriculum transformation and anti-racist pedagogy.
• Institutional accountability is identified as a critical component of educational reform.
• Reforms should transcend simple historical inclusion to confront institutional roles in perpetuating historical harms.
• Examples from Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and the Dutch Caribbean illustrate reparative praxes through Afrocentric memory and anti-racist curriculum development.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1910143