Why A Black History Calendar?

To answer that question, I need to pose another one. And that question is, "What was your experience of studying Black History in secondary school?"

If you went to school in the UK, it was probably similar to my own - two weeks in Year 9 on the topic of slavery, before quickly moving on to The Industrial Revolution in Britain with a whispered mention of the fact that the two topics were inextricably related!

I wanted to give a 'starter' to all the Black students sitting in their history classes wondering, "What has any of this got to do with me?". I wanted to give a starter to all the other students sitting in their history classes thinking, "Is that all the Black History we're going to cover? A fortnight on slavery!". But like any starter, this calendar is only intended to make you hungry for a "main course".

For all the Africans from the continent and in the Diaspora, I wish you well on this journey into your-story. For those people of other races taking an interest in Black history, I wish you well on your journey which will hopefully result in a greater understanding and appreciation of the Black community's global contribution to world history.

Enjoy!

Neil Mayers

Photographer & Secondary School Mathematics Teacher