Black History Matters

An important and hard-hitting chronicle of Black history, written by a celebrated Black historian. Winner of the 2020 School & Library Association prize for readers aged 13-16 and the 2020 ALCS Educational Writers' Award.
** Fully revised and updated for the new paperback edition. Includes notes on teaching Black history.

Black history is an integral part of world history. From the injustices of the past and present, we can learn and be inspired to make the world we live in more fair, equal and just.

Black History Matters chronicles thousands of years of Black history, from African kingdoms, to slavery, apartheid, the battle for civil rights, the global Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and much more.

Important and inspiring Black personalities, from Olaudah Equiano to Oprah Winfrey, are highlighted throughout, while achievements and progress are balanced alongside a look at the issues that continue to plague Black communities.

#Blacklivesmatter is a powerful international movement, designed to raise awareness of and end ongoing injustice towards black people. This book is designed to connect with that movement and offer an important resource for all young readers during Black History Month and beyond.

Contents:
Why Black history matters
Chapter 1: The African empires
The lands of the pharaohs
Ancient Egypt
Kush
Egypt thrives and declines
North African invasions
Ethiopia
The West African desert empires
The Nigeria region
Munhumutapa
The East African coast
Chapter 2: The transatlantic slave trade
The transatlantic slave trade begins
A trade in human misery
Life as a slave
Growing resistance
Abolition
The legacy of the slave trade
Chapter 3: Colonialism
The Scramble for Africa
The Pan-African Congresses
An independent Africa
Southern Africa and apartheid
Chapter 4: The African diaspora
African-Americans in the USA
The fight for civil rights
Change at last
The Windrush generation
Being Black in the UK
Black Lives Matter and George Floyd
Black Lives Matter in the UK
Black history today
Teaching Black history
Glossary
Further information
Timeline
Index