Why learn about Black British History?
As a History teacher of 14 years, I have always been amazed at how little Black presence there is in the English curriculum. I believe that lack of knowledge is a key contributor to our unequal society and negative stereotypes about Black people. This has led me to create a series of courses that explore Black British History with the aim of promoting greater understanding and appreciation of different cultures.
Leila Fortunato - Course Creator
"Learning about Black British History is one way we can start the process of understanding why Black people are in Britain, and what contributions they have made to our country".
- Leila
Leila Fortunato - Education Specialist with over 16 years experience in Schools.
My experience has included teaching English to adults and young people who are speakers of other languages as well as working as a Humanities teacher for 14 years in various roles such as Year Lead and Head of History.
As the founder of Black British Studies, I continue to work as an Education Consultant providing bespoke Black History workshops and webinars to businesses and schools, whilst also running online Zoom lessons for children and providing youth training and education initiatives for Energy Garden London.
Passionate about supporting my local community, I am also a volunteer Director on London's largest community energy project on social housing, where I helped facilitate the training of young interns and raising of £149,000 of investment funding to install solar panels.
A mother and committed Educator, my experiences of racism and those of my own children and students here in the UK has given me personal insight into the challenges that ethnic minorities face, and has led me to develop this online school that focuses on Black British History.
Unconscious racial bias
What examples of unconscious and conscious racial bias do people experience today?
How is our identity shaped? How do others see us? How are stereotypes formed?
Colonialism and Imperialism
What ideologies were created to justify slavery and imperialism?
How did imperialism affect people around the world?
Why do we debate whether the empire was good or bad and apply a different standard to the actions of other countries?
Improving diversity and challenging eurocentrism
What do we choose to include in our curriculum when making it more diverse and how do we decide?
What language should we use when speaking to avoid implicit bias?
What experiences do ‘disadvantaged’ children have that impact on their ability to learn?
Courses cover content such as...
- Understanding unconscious racial bias and stereotypes
- Introduction to colonialism and Imperialism
- Migration, prejudice, and discrimination
- Introduction to British Civil Rights
- Improving diversity and challenging eurocentrism
The overall aim is to provide students with knowledge and skills that help them promote diversity and inclusion whilst challenging inequality and prejudice in their own spheres of life.
