This workshop will explore the process of decolonising the history we teach, the challenges involved and the principles that can guide our practice. The workshop will compromise two parts. In the first half, attendees will be introduced to the principles behind the CARGO classroom initiative and use these to explore the question of how to decolonise the history classroom.
In the second half, attendees will reflect on the challenges that we are faced with when we attempt to decolonise the history we teach, hearing the testimonies from history teachers working with the CARGO classroom initiative, and explore what changes we can make to our own practice to teach more decolonised histories.
About the workshop hosts
David Rawlings is Senior Lecturer in History Education at the University of Bristol. He is subject lead for the History PGCE course and advises a number of organisations and publishers on the inclusivity and diversity of their history education materials, including how they can deliver more decolonised histories.
CARGO (Charting African Resilience Generating Opportunities) is a collective of artists, poets and filmmakers, led by Lawrence Hoo and Charles Goulding, from across the globe with a single-minded vision to address the balance of accessible narratives from the African diaspora. The CARGO classroom initiative aims to address the narratives that are missing from the history that is taught in schools across the UK, including the perspectives of individuals of African and African Diaspora descent and the recognition of their resilience, contributions and visionary leadership: CARGO© (cargomovement.org).
