This post was written by Jasmine Davis, an undergraduate student at HCRI, for Black History Month.
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As a mixed British and Jamaican girl, Black history as it was taught in British schools is something I’ve always been critical of. My year group had over 200 students in it and yet only five of us were of black heritage. I can’t even recall ever having a black teacher. This meant that our Black History celebrations consisted of what my white teachers thought was worth teaching. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr are significant figures in global Black history, and they deserve to be recognised, but Black British history never seemed to be mentioned.
In fact, most of the significant events in Black British history were never taught to me in my British schools, even during Black History Month. Even as an adult, when I speak to some of my peers about the topic, they are unaware of some of the most important events which have shaped Black history in the UK. That’s why it felt important to create a resource that could introduce people to some of the Black British history that doesn’t usually get taught in schools. I wanted people to have an accessible resource which could teach them a little bit about some significant events in Black British history.
My Report: A Short Introduction to Black History in Britain
Black History Month in the UK is celebrated every October. It began in 1987, on the 150th anniversary of slavery being abolished in the Caribbean. For many children, the only time they get taught Black history in their schools is during the month of October. The narrative that Black history should only be taught during Black History Month is something which I wish to be changed. I believe that Black British history is a part of British history and it should be taught as such, by being interwoven in the curriculum.
I also believe that Black history needs to be considered more when talking about international humanitarian aid. Humanitarian organisations are increasingly focused on ‘decolonising aid’ but I don’t think that this can be done until the history surrounding colonisation is fully considered. My resource only slightly touches on this, but I hope it can inspire people to further their understanding on the topic. I think there is a wider conversation that needs to be had on international humanitarian aid in former colonies, especially when those giving the aid are the countries that colonised. The first step to starting that conversation is learning about Black history. Only once the importance of Black history is fully recognised can ‘decolonising aid’ truly begin.
Below, I have listed some resources that have influenced and inspired me and can further knowledge on this topic.
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- The BBC adaptation of Small Island, a novel by Andrea Levy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pdyg0
- Checking Out Me History, a 2004 poem by John Agard: https://poetrybyheart.com/poems/checking-out-me-history
- The Black History Month website, which links resources and events: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/
- A New Humanitarian post filled with resources about decolonising aid: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2022/08/12/Decolonising-aid-a-reading-and-resource-list
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