The Campbell Tickell team nominated The Black Curriculum as one of our Charity Partners for 2021. As an organisation, its aim is to provide all young people in the UK with the opportunity to learn Black British history, all year round and not solely in October (Black History Month). Here, they discuss their goals and work in more detail.

The Black Curriculum was born out of a desire to see Black British history taught all year round in schools across the UK. Owing to a largely Eurocentric curriculum, Black British histories are currently not present on the national curriculum or taught within schools in a mandatory or consistent manner.

The need for change is clear. Xenophobic and racist attacks increased during the political climate of Brexit. The latest Home Office figures show that in 2017/18 there were 94,098 hate crimes – 76% of which were racially aggravated. The UK has an ongoing, systemic issue of racism – the school curriculum can play a key role in educating and preventing these issues from manifesting. In having Black British history taught in an accessible and authentic way, a positive change can be made across British society.

“The UK has an ongoing, systemic issue of racism – the school curriculum can play a key role in educating and preventing these issues from manifesting.”

Black British history curriculum

The Black Curriculum aims to provide a sense of belonging and identity to young people across the UK. We do this by teaching an accessible Black British history curriculum. This not only raises attainment for young people but can also improve social cohesion and challenge institutional racism. In a multi-cultural society, all students can benefit from understanding the history and experience of the different cultures they live with in their communities.

Our syllabus has an arts-based approach with topics including art history, politics and migration. It aims to give a positive representation of Black people’s contribution to British history. We deliver our courses with a group of trained educators and facilitators who go into schools to teach and work directly with young people.

Teaching Black British history is important for all pupils; it gives them an understanding of where other people in their communities come from. This in itself helps to promote tolerance and fight racism. It is not only third and fourth generations of pupils of Afro-Caribbean heritage who are not learning about Black history, but students from all backgrounds. If all young people learn about the cultural identity of their peers they can begin to challenge racist stereotypes. Their experience of what it means to be British widens as they learn about the contributions that generations of immigrants have made to the British social, political and economic landscape.