Reflect

Many of you might be aware that October is Black History Month. This year’s focus is Reclaiming Narratives. By emphasising this theme, the organisers hope to shine a brighter light on stories and histories, correcting inaccuracies and showcasing the untold successes and complexity of Black heritage. In the UK, the first Black History Month took place in 1987. It was initiated by journalist and activist Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who came to the UK from Ghana as a refugee in 1984. This led to a series of lectures and concerts, borne out of a desire that “every child growing up in the UK must have an appreciation and an understanding of Africa, Africans, people of African descent – their contributions to world civilisations from antiquity to the present, and especially to the growth and development of the UK and Europe.” Since then, it has grown to become a large movement, and many schools, museums and organisations run activities and exhibitions during the month of October to celebrate.

Whilst writing this, I’ve been reflecting on my own journey observing Black History Month displays in bookstores since the mid-2000s. Back then, I noticed that the selection of children’s books was small, often focusing on African American history, Nelson Mandela, and the story of slavery. While these topics are important, I realised there was a gap in the wider representation of Black history. That’s what led me to start writing and, initially, self-publishing my own Black history books for children. My aim was to bring to life the rich histories of ancient and medieval Africa, Black British history, and Black history from other parts of the world.

Over the years, I've noticed that while there has been improvement, Black history books for children still don't seem to be where I'd hoped they'd be by now. I’ve noticed that some bookshops and libraries no longer feature Black History Month displays at all. And in those that do, the books displayed aren’t always focused on Black history. Sometimes it seems that any book featuring a Black character qualifies, even science fiction! While representation in fiction is crucial, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Black History Month is a time to engage children with real stories of achievement and contribution from the past.

Black History Month is like an anniversary, similar to World Book Day. However, just as World Book Day is sometimes accused of shifting its focus from literature to costume celebrations, Black History Month in practice might be at risk of losing its historical grounding. Too often, it is presented to children as a celebration of culture or “Black joy,” but not enough emphasis is placed on actual historical people and events. This shift can lead to missed opportunities for children to learn about and appreciate the significant contributions of Black people throughout history.

Motivate

Black history too often gets reduced to slavery, civil rights, and colonisation. But when we avoid teaching about the rich and diverse aspects of Black history, we inadvertently reinforce the idea that Black people don’t have a significant history outside of these topics. Ironically, the very purpose of Black History Month in the UK was to combat this view—to highlight the numerous and varied ways that people of African descent have contributed to world history. It’s therefore crucial to show children that Black history spans ancient, medieval, and modern times. There are so many vibrant stories to tell about ancient African civilizations like Egypt, Kush, and Axum, the medieval kingdoms of Africa, and much more.

My own most recent book, which was only published in September, tells The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses. Despite there being huge amounts of material on the history of medicine generally, when I started researching the book, I discovered that nursing is poorly recorded and found teasing out the nursing elements from general medical historical records really quite a challenge. Despite being around for thousands of years, nursing has not always been well paid or highly regarded, and has been predominantly associated with women. To compound this, I was focusing on Black nurses from over 30 different countries (including countries in Africa, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic and Canada).

The stories that I uncovered start in ancient and medieval Africa, span periods of colonisation and enslavement, war, times of great change, and onwards to the creation of the NHS. The individuals that I learned about were innovative, resilient, skilful, talented and hardworking. Whilst all of these women were fascinating, I felt particularly drawn to Sarah Woodbine, a nurse from Argentina who was born in the 1800s. In October 1898, a journal called The Nursing Record and Hospital World published an article called ‘A Plea For Equality’, which focused on Sarah. It recommended her highly and asked British matrons to consider hiring Sarah based on her qualifications. She came to Britain at the age of 14 with her father because she wanted to train as a nurse. She wanted to learn the skills to enable her to return home and look after her own people, who, unlike the white people in Buenos Aries had ‘no one to look after them when ill’. Sarah was top of her class, but could not get a promotion to gain the experience that she needed due to racial discrimination. I found her sense of altruism and kindness heartening, but her experiences made me feel quite sad. One of the things that struck me as I wrote this book was that people have always cared about other people. Even if we can’t find the names of specific nurses from thousands of years ago, we can still see evidence that human beings have always had compassion for others.

History is a tool which can build empathy, understanding, and respect. It can be inspiring and allow children to see their place within a wider historical context. But history can also be misused or contested, which is why it’s vital to teach it carefully and thoughtfully. Africa is home to 1.4 billion people, with millions more of African descent living around the globe. This makes Black history relevant to everyone, not just those of African descent. It enriches our understanding of the world and helps us see the connections between past events and the present. It helps us better understand ourselves and the world around us. By learning about the past, we can better understand why we do what we do, and how both past and current events shape the world we live in today.

Support

Black history is also for everyone. In an increasingly diverse world, building connections through an understanding of history helps children (and adults) appreciate shared human experience. While recent Black history may lend itself to discussions about empathy, diversity, and inclusion, we must ensure these important topics do not substitute for teaching about actual historical events and achievements. When studying Black history, why not focus on specific areas of interest, whether that’s art, music, or something as unexpected as hairstyles? For example, my book, The Story of Afro Hair: 5,000 Years of History, Fashion, and Styles, explores thousands of years of Black history through the lens of popular (and not so popular) hairstyles.

It’s a good idea to help children understand that history is a record of human achievement, struggle, and progress. Teach them about the origins of Black History Month and why we celebrate the contributions of people of African descent to world history. Remember that Black history didn’t start with enslavement. There are thousands of years of rich, fascinating history to explore before colonialism. Let them see that people of African descent are global and highlight the contributions of Black people across the world. By staying focused on the real stories of Black history, we ensure that Black History Month remains a meaningful and educational celebration, inspiring the next generation to appreciate the breadth and depth of our shared history.

Some final tips. Books are a great resource for teaching children about Black history. They’re accessible, inexpensive (particularly if you use your library) and easy to share. There are lots of books available which focus on one particular individual. These are great and can be very interesting, but it’s important to use them alongside books like mine that provide a wider historical context. Not everybody was extraordinary, or able to achieve greatness, and it’s important that we give children a sense of the everyday too.

A personal favourite of mine is The History Of The African & Caribbean Communities In Britain by Hakim Adi. I think that this is a book that should be in every library, every school, every home. It's well researched and contains photos and newspaper clippings. It gives a really good overview of the history of people of African descent in Britain. My other favourite is A History of Africa by Robin Walker, which also spans prehistoric Africa, through ancient Egypt to the African kingdoms, the slave trade, colonialism and countries' struggles for independence, right up to the modern day. It contains a very useful section on teaching Black history. Be aware of who is writing the books that your children read and remember that the authors’ experiences and identity will impact their writing.

Remember that we are all still learning! It can sometimes feel daunting to broach topics like Black history for fear of getting things wrong, especially as language and terminology is constantly changing. If you or your child have a question, why not reach out to a Black history author? You’ll often get a response!