The Black Curriculum: Meet the woman bringing black British history to schools

History is a subject that lots of children enjoy studying at primary and secondary school.

It's an opportunity to learn about lots of important events that have taken place in the past and the impact they have had on the world today.

Recently, there have been calls for the history curriculum in the UK to be updated to make it more diverse and reflective of Britain's multicultural society.

There are lots of groups and charities in the UK campaigning for change in this area including The Black Curriculum.

What is The Black Curriculum?

The Black Curriculum wants black British history to be taught in schools

The Black Curriculum is an organisation which wants to see black British history taught all year round in schools across the UK.

It was founded by Lavinya Stennett who decided to create the platform as she was frustrated with the lack of black history she was taught at school. The topics that she learned about were very limited and largely focused on historical events that took place in America.

Lavinya's university experience introduced her to the rich history of black people and she wants this knowledge to be available to all pupils in schools.

The Black Curriculum runs programmes for children and young people aged eight to 16. The organisation uses art forms like poetry and drama to help students get to grips with black history.

The organisation believes this will help build a sense of identity in every young person in the UK and help educate everyone about racism.

Lots of celebrities and campaign groups have spoken out about the importance of education when it comes to tackling racism and building a more equal society.

In response, the government's Department for Education said "teachers can include black voices and history as a natural part of lessons in all subjects".

A spokesperson added: "Racism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place in our society. Schools already play a significant role in teaching children about the importance of having respect and tolerance for all cultures.

"Black history is an important topic which schools can teach to children of all ages as part of the history curriculum.

"Schools can utilise resources from a range of organisations and sources to support teaching Black history, including the Black Curriculum."