Black clubs, associativism and history of education

Abstract

In this article, we present the first results of a research about the history of the Charitable, Cultural and Recreational Club called “September 28”, founded in the city of Jundiaí, SP, in 1897. It is the oldest black club in the state of São Paulo and one of the oldest in Brazil, still in activity today. Its trajectory, however, is much unknown, especially in regard to the educational and school initiatives taken in the early decades of the twentieth century. As main documents, I take the minutes of the club’s directory meetings found in the institution, followed by others sparse written records such as print materials and works by local historians. In the minutes, amid frequent discussions about money, parties and behaviors are notes relating to educational concerns raised by members of the club. The look for this documentation, still unpublished, is anchored in the discussion about the associativism of popular groups, especially the reflections on the theme from the contributions of the English historian E. P. Thompson.