Confronting Environmental Racism: Experiences of the Educational Collective “ART and Good Living” through Engaged Multiliteracy.

This paper presents the activities of the collective "Arte e Bem Viver", formed by students and teachers from a municipal school in the outskirts of São Paulo. Located in the far west of the city, the school faces challenges, such as the lack of health, sports, education, culture and leisure services, which affects the community and students. The group meets monthly at PUC-SP to share experiences and improve their practices in the Brincadas Extension Project. Based on Bader Sawaia's theory on ethical-political suffering (2018), the project investigates structural racism (ALMEIDA, 2019) and environmental racism (NASCIMENTO, 2023). The activities are organized through Engaged Multiliteracy (LIBERALI, 2021) and Paulo Freire's critical stages (1970), promoting an immersion that aims to awaken the critical consciousness of the participants. By exploring multimodality, students expand their forms of expression and engagement. Thus, this study aims to investigate the ethical-political suffering of students in the face of environmental racism, seeking to understand how Engaged Multiliteracy contributes to their development. We used Critical Collaborative Research (MAGALHÃES, 2004; 2006), where researchers and participants collaborate in the investigative process. Data were collected from activities developed and from the researchers' observations. Preliminary results indicate positive progress, both individually and collectively, with participants developing critical and reflective skills. Thus, the BRINCADAS project and the Arte e Bem Viver collective represent joint efforts in the search for a more just society, promoting awareness of the multiple forms of oppression in the outskirts of São Paulo.