Black British History - 2023 Edition

Discover millennia of Black British history - from Cheddar Man in 7100BC, to the North African Roman auxiliary regiment in 200AD, to Tudor trumpeter John Blanke in the early 1500s, to pioneering authors Ukawsaw Gronniosaw and Phyllis Wheatley in the 1700s, to the sacrifice made by Caribbean British soldiers during WWI and WWII!

Originally produced as a blog by myself in 2020 (a qualified primary school teacher and history/English language graduate), this reference resource has now been created to support teachers in integrating Black British history and historical figures into their lessons. Containing over nine thousand years of history, including musicians, sportspeople, firefighters, and community leaders amongst others, and now up to date as of August 2023, this resource has been designed to be as informative, accessible, and user-friendly as possible.

I ask that, should you find this useful, you share it with as many colleagues as you can. In total, this research took six months to compile, often relying on very few sources to corroborate the facts. Recent research found that many teachers feel underconfident in teaching Black British history, due to a lack of confidence and knowledge (Petitions Committee, 2021). I hope this document can go some way to alleviating these fears, and ensuring every pupil feels fully and accurately represented in the lessons we teach.

Black British history does not start with the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush, nor does it start with the transatlantic enslavement trade. As historian Peter Fryer states, in the first line of his landmark 1984 book ‘Staying Power’, “There were Africans in Britain before the English came here”.