Adult Caribbean History Course – 12 Week Breakdown

Caribbean and Black British History (Adult Programme – 12 Weeks)

Course Style: Each session includes pre-reading, group discussion, a short lecture, and an application task. Sessions are led by Mr. Burke and delivered in a seminar-style environment to encourage critical thinking and personal reflection.

🔹 Month 1: Foundations and Resistance

Week 1: Africa Before Enslavement

Pre-reading: Chapter extract from Africa’s Discovery of Europe by Basil Davidson
In-session: The wealth, kingdoms, and cultures of pre-colonial Africa
Application Task: Write a short reflection titled “Africa: A Forgotten Glory?”

Week 2: Enslavement and Resistance in the Caribbean

Pre-reading: Excerpts from The History of Mary Prince
In-session: Systems of slavery, plantation life, and early rebellions
Application Task: Create a short diary entry from the perspective of an enslaved person

Week 3: Haitian Revolution & Caribbean Resistance

Pre-reading: Selections from The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James
In-session: Toussaint Louverture, resistance, and Black liberation
Application Task: Debate: “Violent resistance was the only option”

Week 4: Colonialism and the Role of Education

Pre-reading: Decolonising the Mind by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (excerpts)
In-session: British imperial control, missionary schools, and mental colonisation

Application Task: Write a short piece entitled “What does it mean to decolonise education?”

🔹 Month 2: Migration, Labour, and Culture

Week 5: Indentureship and Indian-Caribbean Heritage

Pre-reading: Articles on Indian indentureship in Trinidad, Guyana, and Jamaica
In-session: Life after slavery – the arrival of Indian and Chinese labourers
Application Task: Group mapping activity of Caribbean migration patterns

Week 6: Windrush and Post-War Migration to Britain

Pre-reading: Articles and poems from Windrush: Songs in a Strange Land (BBC archive)
In-session: Windrush generation – housing, work, racism, and belonging
Application Task: Creative writing: A letter home from London, 1950

Week 7: Black British Music and Cultural Expression

Pre-reading: Chapters from Bass Culture by Lloyd Bradley
In-session: Sound systems, Notting Hill Carnival, reggae, and resistance
Application Task: Present your own musical/cultural influences and their roots

Week 8: Black Women in British History

Pre-reading: Profile articles on Claudia Jones, Olive Morris, and Mary Seacole
In-session: Intersectionality – race, gender, and activism

Application Task: Short research profile on a Black British woman not covered in class

🔹 Month 3: Activism, Politics and the Present Day

Week 9: Black British Resistance in the 1980s

Pre-reading: Articles on the Brixton Uprising, Broadwater Farm, and policing
In-session: Police brutality, media portrayals, and community defence
Application Task: Analysis: Compare historical news articles with modern ones

Week 10: Black Political Organising in Britain

Pre-reading: Selections from British Black Power by Robin Bunce and Paul Field
In-session: British Black Panthers, New Cross Fire, and protest movements
Application Task: Design a protest leaflet for a 1980s-style campaign

Week 11: Education and the Fight for Representation

Pre-reading: Reports on Black underachievement and the Macpherson Report (1999)
In-session: Curriculum debates, exclusions, and racism in British schools
Application Task: Write a 250-word op-ed titled “Why Black History Must Be Taught All Year Round”

Week 12: Where Do We Go From Here? (Contemporary Reflections)

Pre-reading: Opinion pieces on Black Lives Matter UK and current campaigns
In-session: The legacy of activism, identity, and hope for the future

Caribbean and Black British History (Adult Programme – 12 Weeks)

Application Task: Final Reflection – What does justice look like for Black Britons today?

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