Being a Scientist as a Practice of Inclusion and Social Transformation of Oppressed Groups in Brazil: The Inspiring Example of Professor Bárbara Carine Soares Pinheiro

How can we think of science education for young girls as a form of social justice?

One powerful way is by publicizing and valuing the stories of women who have broken through historical, social, and political barriers, claiming spaces of power and leadership in our society. Professor Bárbara Carine is one such woman whose career inspires young girls pursuing a future in science. With a solid academic background and a commitment to social inclusion, her work has directly impacted science education in Brazil.

Bárbara holds degrees in Chemistry and Philosophy from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), where she currently works as an adjunct professor. She also has a master’s and a doctorate in Chemistry Education from UFBA's Graduate Program in Teaching, Philosophy, and History of Science, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in Basic Education from the University of São Paulo (USP). She coordinates the Diversity and Criticality in the Natural Sciences Research Group (DICCINA), where she conducts research on teacher education from a critical and decolonial perspective, along with issues related to diversity in science teaching.

As a concrete act of social transformation, Bárbara co-founded and served as a pedagogical consultant for the Maria Felipa Afro-Brazilian School—the first school of its kind in Brazil. Her work in this and other areas has received wide recognition. In 2021, she was awarded the Maria Felipa Prize by the Salvador City Council. In addition to being an educator and researcher, Bárbara Carine is also a writer, the author of ten books, and the recipient of the 2024 Jabuti Prize—the most prestigious literary award in the country.

My Path as a Scientist and Educator

Hello, I’m Professor Bárbara Karine Soares Pinheiro, known on social media as "The Different Intellectual" (Intragram : @uma_intelectual_diferentona). I’m a lecturer and researcher at the Chemistry Institute of UFBA, where I’ve worked for 13 years. I’m also a writer with 13 published books—one of which won the Jabuti Prize—and a co-founder of Brazil’s first Afro-Brazilian school, the Maria Felipa Afro-Brazilian School.

My path to becoming a teacher and researcher was shaped by life itself. I was born on the outskirts of Salvador, the daughter of a domestic worker. My only model of success was through education. Although my mother never finished elementary school, she always encouraged me to study. That encouragement was enough to change my reality.

As a child, I was like any other girl—I loved playing and celebrating. But early on, I understood that education was the key to transforming my life and my family’s, especially my mother’s. That’s why I was always very committed and disciplined in my studies.

While preparing for university entrance exams, I gave free tutoring lessons to practice my knowledge. That’s when I discovered my calling—people often praised how well I explained things. I decided to become a teacher. I chose chemistry because I was drawn to the exact sciences, especially chemistry and mathematics. Chemistry appealed to me for its practical, hands-on nature, unlike math.

I earned my degree, followed by a master’s and doctorate in Chemistry Education, later a degree in Philosophy, and finally a postdoc in Education. I've spent nearly 15 years dedicated to teaching, research, thesis supervision, and academic and social engagement. My journey has been shaped by courage, love, science, and transformation.

The Establishment of the Maria Felipa Afro-Brazilian School and Its Impact on Decolonial Education

I founded the Maria Felipa Afro-Brazilian School in 2017, following the birth of my daughter, who is Black. I’m from Salvador and had long been troubled by the formal education system’s Eurocentric and colonialist approach. The curriculum centered exclusively on white figures, granting them sole protagonism in history, mathematics, literature, science, and philosophy. White individuals were the only ones portrayed positively—as producers of knowledge. Meanwhile, Indigenous and Black peoples were consistently erased as intellectual agents.

But I already knew the truth: Africa is the cradle of humanity. The first humans appeared on the African continent. The earliest civilizations, kingdoms, and bodies of knowledge—including chemistry and philosophy, my fields of study—were born there. So I found it profoundly unjust that a child—especially a Black child—could go through 16 years of school without once seeing themselves positively represented. That’s why I created the Maria Felipa Afro-Brazilian School. It's not just for Black children—it’s for all children. So they can see their ancestors, their stories, and themselves as powerful, positive contributors to knowledge.

It’s painful to imagine Indigenous children learning about Brazil’s history in a way that paints them as uncivilized savages “saved” by European whiteness. It’s equally cruel that Black people, when reflecting on their past, are presented only with images of chains and slavery. I didn’t want that for my daughter.

At our school, all children are represented positively. We don't reject European knowledge—we value it. But we’re a decolonial school. That means we place African, Indigenous, and other marginalized knowledge on equal footing. We don’t operate from a Eurocentric perspective—we operate from one of equity.

How My Story Can Inspire Girls to Pursue Science

I believe my story can inspire other girls to pursue science. I always say that I was an ordinary girl—not an outlier or a genius. I was, and still am, a girl with dreams who found in science not only a passion but also a path to social transformation. Science became my way to achieve not just personal liberation, but collective empowerment for my community.

Through my work in African science communication, I’ve seen firsthand how science transforms lives. It empowers young people, enriches their trajectories, and opens doors. That’s why it’s so important for girls to know that science is for them too.

Science has historically been seen as a masculine, androcentric field, but women have always been part of it—creating, innovating, and leaving their mark. I wrote the book Decolonizing Knowledge: Black Women in Science to highlight how Black women, despite being historically erased and pushed into limiting social roles, have always contributed to and transformed science.

Representation is vital. As I write in my book How to Be an Anti-Racist Educator: “Where we don’t see ourselves, we don’t believe we belong.” Girls need stories like mine to feel inspired and to realize: yes, it is possible.

To know more about professor Barbara Carine Soares Pinheiro : https://abpnrevista.org.br/site/article/view/1050 

Written by Daniel Manzoni de Almeida and edited by Intan