SCHOOLS HISTORY PROJECT CONFERENCE 2006

This weekend I shall be attending my second Schools' History Project conference at Trinity and All Saints College, Leeds. Once again I shall be leading a workshop on a topic related to Black and Asian British History. I have the pleasure of doing a joint workshop this year with Belle Wallace the creator of TASC Thinking in an Active Social Context. The theme for this year is 'Thinking through the Slave Trade' and I will be leading the delegates through a series of activities to design a monument to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the end of the Slave Trade in 2007. The work that my students have been doing using TASC to create a display about the Atlantic Slave Trade can be found on the comptonhistory website and soon it will be available on blackhistory4schools. I will also be highlighting to the whole conference the importance of schools being aware of the 200th anniversary. I will be making recommendations as to how History departments can focus on elements of the struggle against slavery that does not only focus on the role of William Willberforce. The contribution of Africans such as Olaudah Equiano and Ottabah Cuguoano are often overlooked, as as the contributions made by women such as Mary Prince and Phyllis Wheatley. I was recently sent a wonderful image from the Victoria and Albert Museum (you have to type in T.20-1951 in the search box to find it) "showing a bag with its associated pamphlets that were produced by the Female Society for Birmingham as part of their campaign for the abolition of slavery. The Society was founded in 1825 (originally called the Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves) in West Bromwich, near Birmingham. The bags were made by women at sewing circles where objects decorated with abolitionist emblems were produced to decorate their homes and for distribution as part of their campaigning activities.....They were presented to King George IV, Princess Victoria and other aristocrats and wives of prominent politicians, as well as to other women's anti-slavery societies." I hope that the response is positive, I am sure it will be.

#Posted 4 July 2006 at 5:59 PM

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