She is a year-old white, heterosexual, cisgender woman. Her questions were directed at me, a year-old black, gay, cisgender male.
Some of these inquiries could have a broader educational impact if shared. Snippets like these started to catch my attention from the other end of the phone. I, who in addition to being her son, became a teacher and social scientist thanks to her efforts, shuddered with each question and with the possibility of more complex questions.
So I accepted the challenge of researching and studying that which I had no idea how to respond to. I wanted to build more democratic and anti-racist exchanges with my loved ones. Prior to that, I did not seek general explanations for the questions of my and of many other family configurations existing in our country, composed of the diaspora and of forced miscegenation. Considered the first space for socialization , the family is, in general, made up of groups of people who are generationally distinct, who exchange and share experiences and knowledge.
Commonly involved in situations of conflict, negotiation, cooperation, transmission of values, emotional demands and expectations of reciprocity, we have the chance to learn every day while also teaching. These processes of learning through teaching and teaching through learning that we share within a family are known as coeducation.
The first steps we take in the world are designed based on the members of each kinship model and our family configuration. The experiences and access to the universe of language occur initially within these family relationships.
