For an anti-racist applied linguistics: problematizations about silenced discourses and the (re)existence of blackness

ABSTRACT The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic brought us challenges both individually and collectively. Hence, we found some data that have made us aware of the (lack of) attention given to the population that are less supported by public policies, such as the black people. We pay attention to the inequalities that had already existed before this period of health crisis, as they need, urgently, to be researched in different areas of knowledge, including Applied Linguistics. Taking all of that into consideration, this research aims at analyzing discursive interactions between Facebook users, after seeing an image that promoted an online debate about black representation in textbooks, posted by the Secretaria Municipal de Educação do Rio de Janeiro (SME/RJ). The results showed us two types of speeches: one that silenced the initiative that aimed at promoting a racial debate in the field of education, and the other one that valued this practice. To sum up, we reinforce that research which have language as a central role in the interactions among people must problematize the uses of language that minimize initiatives aimed at promoting social justice.