It is often assumed that Black history is synonymous with African American history – the little we learn of Black history usually sympathises with that of the African American. But here at Accoutre, we focus on the history of the wider Black British community. At Accoutre, we explore the diverse social and political histories of the Black British diaspora and our wider connected histories to the Caribbean and Africa. Historically, history has been written and told from a biased Eurocentric lens, producing a warped history of the Black and African diaspora. Exploring Black British history from a subaltern perspective (History from below), as we do here at Accoutre, is important in deconstructing these false historical narratives that have conveyed the Black diaspora as inferior and our history as empty and void. Our lessons at Accoutre aim to holistically understand the diverse historical and social phenomenon of Black British, Afro-Caribbean, and African people that has long been obscured. We discuss modern parallels and how they have affected our world today.
Topics include:
- ‘Before the Windrush’ – Black people in Britain since 3rd century A.D.
- African kingdoms, B.C – A.D
- Social Darwinism and eugenics
- African and Caribbean soldiers of WW1 and WW2
- Slavery before the Atlantic slave trade
- The Atlantic slave trade
- Decolonisation – the role of Africans and Caribbeans.
- The Windrush
- The history of gangs – are gangs a Black problem?
- Caribbean intellectuals and pioneers
- Garveyism
- The African influence and origins in music.
- Resistance (social, political, cultural)
- Is witchcraft an African problem?
- Beauty standards
- Colourism
- Media portrayal/representation
- Race as a social construct