Introducing The Black Curriculum - Peters
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Making Black British History accessible: introducing The Black Curriculum series

August 10th 2022

      

The Black Curriculum

The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise founded in 2019 to address the lack of Black British history in the UK curriculum. The organisation is committed to changing the national curriculum and building a sense of identity in every young person in the UK. Over the past year, The Black Curriculum has reached thousands of students and teachers through its services, and has worked closely with schools across the UK to support them in their efforts to reframe their approach to teaching Black British history and promote inclusivity and social cohesion amongst students.

 

The Black Curriculum have partnered with DK Publishing to produce some fantastic new books that delve into overlooked parts of Black British History. Read our guest blog from the team behind the books below.

The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise that campaigns for the inclusion of Black British History into the national curriculum. However, we realise that to make this more accessible, it is essential that we provide young people, parents and teachers with resources that can help! Our amazing writers, Millie, Lania and Melody, share some words on why they wrote the books, which are due to publish in September.

Places: Important Sites in Black British History

Hey everyone, my name is Melody Triumph, and I wrote Places: Important Sites in Black British History. I was born in Hackney, but all of my childhood memories and experiences were in Kent. The most important thing to take away from Places is that Black British history can be found all over Britain. In Places, I explore important places and people in Scotland and Wales and look at other cities in England, such as Nottingham and Bristol. As someone who grew up outside of London, I felt that Black British culture and history tended to be oriented around Black people in London. Of course, there is nothing wrong with Black British history in London! But for those who grew up outside of London, this could have been a challenging experience when figuring out your space in Britain. This is why being able to write Places meant so much to me. The fact that I have been able to participate in building the representation of Black British history and create a fuller picture of what Black British history means the world to me. As well as being an educational writer, I also write poetry and fiction and work as an English teacher.

   

 

Migration: Journeys Through Black British History 

My name is Millie, and I have worked within Children's Services (social care, schools, youth offending) for eight years. Six years ago, I trained to become a graphic designer, wanting to do something more creative with my life. However, I always felt something was missing. I've been interested in learning about history, politics and culture, so when I had the opportunity to write a WHOLE book in collaboration with The Black Curriculum, I knew I had to do this.

The book on Migration is definitely a book like no other as it delves into how Black people migrated to Britain, but it doesn't just consider enslavement and the Migration of Black people from the Caribbean. People must know that there is evidence to show that Black people have been here since Roman times and have rubbed shoulders with Tudor Kings as two of the many examples.

I wanted to write this book so that Black children know they can have the opportunity to write a book that considers the bigger picture and doesn't just suit the narrative we have been used to for too long. But, most importantly, it's so that they can learn about all the other stories of Black people migrating - something that people worldwide are doing to this very day.

    

 

Legacies: Black British Pioneers

Hello everyone, my name is Lania Narjee, and I wrote Legacies: Black British Pioneers. My background was in Fine Art before training as a primary teacher and later as an Art Psychotherapist. I have worked with children and young people for over ten years in various settings.

During my time as a teacher, I was saddened at the lack of resources and general knowledge about Black British history both in and out of school. As an avid reader and writer, this book has been a dream come true and a chance to create a resource that I felt was much needed.

I was keen to write a book about some of the lesser-known Black British legacies focused on the last 100 years and how they connect to our present-day heroes. I was particularly fascinated by the era just before Windrush and the presence of Black people back then, including the Moody brothers, John Alcindor, Emma Clarke and Evelyn Dove, to name but a few. These individuals did extraordinary things despite adverse circumstances, and researching their lives highlighted their strength and determination to break boundaries and be change makers, even if they didn't realise it at the time.

There are so many incredible people I wish I had the space to write about, and I hope this book inspires others to do their historical research and write, as we need more books and historians! History is only relevant if it is remembered, preserved and treasured, and I hope this book signals the first of many more to come.

    

 

The Black Curriculum series will be published on 26th September. To find out more about The Black Curriculum, visit their website.

 

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