As part of our last Business Coach forum, we hosted a discussion on race and diversity with Nathan Dennis, a trustee of one of our chosen charities, First Class Foundation.
The session took place in the backdrop of Black History Month, so it seems fitting that two of our recommendations cover issues that relate to non-white white people in Britain.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
First up is Lucy Philip, who recommends the Sunday Times best seller, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.
The book sparked a national conversation on release, exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race.
Lucy says: “The book gives a real insight into the rich history of non-white people in the UK and an opportunity to step into their shoes and understand the day-to-day overt and covert prejudice they face. Understanding and empathy is the first step to change and I think this book supports that safe learning environment.”
– Lucy Philip
Black and British – A Forgotten History
Jayne Saul Paterson first watched Black and British – A Forgotten History by David Olusoga in 2016.
She has watched it again since and bought the accompanying book for friends, including a children’s version for a friend’s 11-year-old daughter.
We asked her why.
“I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s when there were very few Black people on TV, let alone in history programmes or historical dramas,” explains Jayne.
“The exception was the TV series Roots which had an important focus on slavery but I wanted to know all our history. David Olusoga’s Black and British is in my view the first
programme and book that I have experienced which documents the legacy of Black people living in the British Isles. It dates back to the Romans, including Black Tudors, Black Victorians and Black presence in both World Wars as well as the Windrush generation, told by a British broadcaster of Nigerian and English Heritage.
“It’s an antidote to the microaggression that many people of colour face so often. Yes, of course our ancestry resides in Africa but so do all humans of any skin colour. What this programme did was say, was that Black people lived and worked in Britain for centuries and at last, it gave legitimacy to our belonging in this country and a celebration to our legacy.”
If you’re based in the UK, you can watch the series on BBC iPlayer here.
– Jayne Saul Paterson