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Black History Month with Alex Wheatle and International Slavery Museum

Award-winning author Alex Wheatle talks about his latest book, Cane Warriors, for this special event as part of Black History Month. Alex is joined by Lois South from the International Slavery Museum. Together they discuss the transatlantic slave trade, racism, the heroic people who have resisted and the young people who campaign for equality and social justice.

Video Watch now: Black History Month with Alex Wheatle and International Slavery Museum

Content warning: this video contains artefacts of slavery that some people may find distressing. Please see the full content notes below.

Content notes and extra resources

This event is aimed at S2–6 (age 12–18) pupils. The video discusses the realities of transatlantic slavery and contains content that some people may find emotional and distressing. International Slavery Museum share artefacts including an iron punishment collar, images of enslaved people, and signs with outdated terms and racist messages to demonstrate enslaved people's resistance to the brutality of their oppressors. Alex also shares a passage from Cane Warriors, which describes punishments such as whipping and killing in the context of a slave revolt.

To help you teach and learn more about the brutal realities of slavery, here are some useful links:

You can also look at these activities and extra resources related to the event and Black History Month:

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You can find out more about Scottish Friendly on their website(this link will open in a new window).

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