Diversity Art and Citizenship: Black Histories

Black British History is more than just the history of the Black experience or heroes. Black British History is our shared British history. Explore this slider and discover different objects, artworks, films, discussion points and classroom activities that can be incorporated into lessons and inspire creative learning back in the classroom.

Olaudah Equiano was an adventurer, author and abolitionist. Equiano writes that he was born in Eboe, what is now modern day Nigeria. 

After being enslaved as a child, Equiano was sold to a Royal Navy officer. As an adult Equiano worked hard to buy his freedom, and joined many others to campaign for an end to the Transatlantic slave trade.

In 1789 Equiano published his book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano which played an important part in the creation of the British Slave Trade Act in 1807. 

• Continue to see how people today are finding creative ways of celebrating the contributions of people like Equiano, whose achievements in the past were not widely recognised. 
• Learn more about the Transatlantic slave trade by visiting Understanding Slavery website .
• Discuss more recent events, which are history in the making such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the experience of Black and ethnic minority communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Images (portraits, statues and busts) can help form a record of our story. Despite his important historical position, there is only one image of Olaudah Equiano that was recorded from life.

This sculpture of Olaudah Equiano was made by Christy Symington MRSS to celebrate his life and achievements. The shape of Africa forms the back of Equiano’s shoulders to symbolise his heritage.

Discussion points

Whose life and achievements do you think should be celebrated? 

Which shape would they choose to represent their heritage?

Classroom activity

Design your own sculpture to remember the achievements of this person. 

Ship of Fools is a large oil painting by Kehinde Wiley who uses his art to celebrate Black culture and represent important ideas. This artwork shows four figures taking a journey in a rickety boat with a tree trunk growing where the mast would be. 

The painting challenges legacies of Empire by responding to old master paintings: in this case, Hieronymus Bosch’s panel of the same name in the collection of the Louvre. The painting makes visible not only the problems that confront contemporary migrants, but legacies of maritime history such as the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

Look at Ship of Fools by Kehinde Wiley and choose one of the characters to think about. Can you finish the sentences below as if you were them? Can you turn your sentences into a poem?

I feel...
I hope...
I am leaving...
I am going on a journey to...
This tree reminds me of... 

Nelson's Ship in a Bottle is a scaled-down replica of Nelson's flagship HMS Victory. This artwork questions British expansion in trade and empire made possible through Nelson's victories at sea.

Shonibare's trademark material is the brightly coloured ‘African’ batik fabric we can see on the sails. This type of fabric was inspired by Indonesian design, mass-produced by the Dutch and eventually sold to colonies in West Africa. In the 1960s the material became a new sign of African identity and independence. 

In groups become art detectives and investigate:

1. What was Nelson famous for? 
2. Why do you think Shonibare has used ‘African’ material?
3. What do you think is Shonibare's message (in a bottle)? 
4. Can you make your own message in a bottle?