Black History Matters

Book excerpt: 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