We need to talk about coloniality and racism: a gap in the editorial ecosystem of the Social and Human Sciences in Collective Health

Abstract

This essay examines how the invisibility of coloniality and racism in scientific journals drives editorial inequity in the Social and Human Sciences in Health. This reflection relies on the analysis of scholarly publishing, guided by two core questions: What has been published on coloniality and racism regarding Black and Indigenous health? In which scientific journals are these articles being published? The findings show that this thematic gap is itself a byproduct of the racism permeating the entire Brazilian editorial ecosystem and its publishing practices. Overcoming this barrier requires greater ethno-racial and regional diversity within editorial boards. We propose anti-racist action plans to actively incorporate narratives from traditional, Roma, favela, riverine, quilombola, and migrant communities, alongside people with disabilities and LGBTQIAPN+ individuals, into editorial processes and published texts.