Children also need to learn that all history is not so far removed from them in terms of space, place and time. A key stage two pupil came into the library were I work for books to help her with holiday homework (I was pleased that she'd though of coming to the library to use books instead of going straight to the internet. Her class had been set the task of finding out about one of three women:

Harriet Tubman

Phillis Wheatley

Charlotte Ray

The young girl had chosen Charlotte Ray. When I asked her why, she said because she was the only one who wasn't about slavery. This really had a profound impact on me and made me reflect on the reasons why Black History Month was initiated in Britain in the first place. Though I'm not against the teaching of the atrocities of the enslavement of Africans to children I also wondered why there is so much focus on this, as well as so much focus on African-American aspects of history. There is so much richness and wealth in the history of Africa and descendants of Africa which includes the history of Africans in Britain right up to the present. I would love to do a sessions for teachers on teaching history which inspires rather than extinguishes a love of history!

Best wishes

Amma

On Friday, 19 October 2018, 11:07:52 BST, Fabian Tompsett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hi all,

When Tower Hamlets African and Caribbean Mental Health Organisation were working on Power Writers and other publications we wanted to celebrate the fact that we had five African published writers passing through Whitchapel at the end of seventeenth century. The issue of slavery was present in their lives, although for some of them their conversion to Christianity was more significant - see Phillis Wheatley for example. She came to London to have her book published because this could not be done in colonial America.

What we saw as important about her was that she did not let herself be defined by her enslaved status, but went on to become a poet of world renown.

all the best,

Fabian

On 19 October 2018 at 09:08 Kathleen Chater <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Not just children. When I do my talks about the thousands of 'average' black people in the English streets, a fair number of people come up after to say how good it is not to hear about slavery, just people getting on with life. But there's always someone who says 'they were all slaves'!

It is unhelpful to see any section of the population reduced to one facet of their existence, as if it is the only one that defines them, like 'the poor', 'the disabled', etc.

Kathy

________________________________
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Jason Schumann <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 18 October 2018 16:41
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: 'Focus On Slavery Is Putting Black Children Off History'

Dear all,

Please see following linked article: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/career-education-article/focus-slavery-putting-black-children-history
[http://www.voice-online.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/455/BLACK_TEACHERS_1_0.jpg]<http://www.voice-online.co.uk/career-education-article/focus-slavery-putting-black-children-history>

'Focus on slavery is putting black children off history ...<http://www.voice-online.co.uk/career-education-article/focus-slavery-putting-black-children-history>
www.voice-online.co.uk
A NEW report from the Royal Historical Society has warned teachers must stop devoting so much time to slavery because it puts black children off History.

Do you agree with what is being said?

Regards,

Jason Schumann

Sent from my phone

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