Music can carry the stories of history like a message in a bottle. Lord Kitchener, Neneh Cherry, Smiley Culture, Stormzy . . . Groundbreaking musicians whose songs have changed the world. But how? This exhilarating playlist tracks some of the key shifts in modern British history, and explores the emotional impact of 28 songs and the artists who performed them. This book redefines British history, the Empire and postcolonialism, and will invite you to think again about the narratives and key moments in history that you have been taught up to now. Thrilling, urgent, entertaining and thought-provoking, this beautifully illustrated companion to modern black music is a revelation and a delight. ‘Engaging and accomplished . . . perfectly judged for young readers.’ Guardian
Shopify Vendor: Boakye, Jeffrey
I Heard What You Said
Thought-provoking, witty and completely unafraid, I Heard What You Said is a timely exploration of how we can dismantle racism in the classroom and do better by all our students. ‘Essential reading’ – Guardian’Sharp and witty with moments of startling candour’ – The i’Makes a powerful case’ – Rt Hon Lady Hale’Revealing and beautifully written’ – David Harewood________Before Jeffrey Boakye was a black teacher, he was a black student. Which means he has spent a lifetime navigating places of learning that are white by default. Since training to teach, he has often been the only black teacher at school. At times seen as a role model, at others a source of curiosity, Boakye’s is a journey of exploration – from the outside looking in. In the groundbreaking I Heard What You Said, he recounts how it feels to be on the margins of the British education system. As a black, male teacher – an English teacher who has had to teach problematic texts – his very existence is a provocation to the status quo, giving him a unique perspective on the UK’s classrooms. Through a series of eye-opening encounters based on the often challenging and sometimes outrageous things people have said to him or about him, Boakye reflects on what he has found out about the habits, presumptions, silences and distortions that black students and teachers experience, and which underpin British education. ________’Hugely important’ – Baroness Lawrence’Deeply compelling, intellectually rigorous and essential’ – Nels Abbey’Personal and political, profound and playful’ – Darren Chetty’Written with passion, fury, knowledge and, in spite of the painful subject, wit’ – Patrice Lawrence