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5 months ago
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Roots, the mini-series that was shown to pupils for generations, is 'Eurocentric' and has no place in the classroom, teachers have heard.
Members of the National Education Union were told it was 'narrow-minded' and should be banned from history lessons.
Yesterday, conference delegates voted in favour of decolonising the curriculum as it currently 'does not reflect the diversity of children's backgrounds'.
The union will lobby the Government to ensure all school materials 'respect the holistic nature of Black contribution to society'.
Roots, made in 1977, was based on a novel by Alex Haley, which tells the story of a family enduring capture, slavery and the American civil war over a number of generations.
Members of the National Education Union were told Roots was 'narrow-minded' and should be banned from history lessons. Pictured: Roots with LeVar Burton starring as Kunta Kinte
Yesterday, conference delegates voted in favour of decolonising the curriculum as it currently 'does not reflect the diversity of children's backgrounds'. Pictured: Chuck Connors (left) and Ben Vereen (right) starring as Tom Moore and Chicken George Moore
The Roots TV programme 1977
Since its inception, the six-part series was shown to pupils as part of teaching about Black history and the slave trade.
But Camille London-Miyo, an English teacher from Leicester, claimed yesterday it exhibits 'a narrow-minded Eurocentric perspective of the contributions of African heritage communities.'
She suggested members of her family had suffered from having to watch content such as Roots.
'There are three generations within my family alone that have a lived experience of a curriculum that has not reflected them,' she said.
'It has not empowered them and it is not giving them agency...
'As a profession, we still struggle after over 30 years to ensure that we have a curriculum that reflects the contribution, recognition and appreciation of all of our cultures.'
She said some teachers may not be 'racially literate' or 'culturally competent' and therefore should be steered away from such material in future.
Roots, made in 1977, was based on a novel by Alex Haley, which tells the story of a family enduring capture, slavery and the American civil war over a number of generations
Since its inception, the six-part series was shown to pupils as part of teaching about Black history and the slave trade. Pictured: Lane Binkley and Brad Davis star as Martha Johnson and Ol' George Johnson
In recent years, Roots has been dropped by many schools because it is seen as old-fashioned and outdated. Pictured: John Amos stars as Older Kunta Kinte
'We have many ways of teaching that have been contentious,' she added.
In recent years, Roots has been dropped by many schools because it is seen as old-fashioned and outdated.
Critics have even said it caused more racist abuse and did not do enough to acknowledge the wider history of black people in fields such as the arts, science and literature.
The story was remade with a more modern take by the History Channel in 2016.
English (US)