This month, schools across the country have been lucky enough to learn more about Black History Month.

I was amazed to learn about the Cheddar Man; a male fossil who lived in the British Isles/Somerset over ten thousand years ago. This was the oldest almost complete skeleton of our species. And, what was particularly fascinating about this man was that he had blue eyes and dark skin. This leads us to believe that the first inhabitants of the British nation did not have white skin at all yet until recently very little was taught about Black culture.

However, even though it is now taught in schools I was saddened to come to the realisation that to learn about Black History Month is to focus mainly on slavery. Whilst this is incredibly important to learn about because it is vital to absorb how violently and inhumanely the Black culture was treated, I also felt that there was so much more about Black history that we should be taught; such as music, food, art, fashion, and politics.

It got me thinking if we are going to truly change the way people learn about different cultures we should all go back to school - not just the children.

Adults today were unfortunately not as privileged as us to learn about anything to do with Black History because until fairly recently this movement didn’t receive the Governments’ direct support. Indeed, whilst Black History month found its origin in the US back in 1926, it was not taught in the UK until 1987. This means that both our parents and grandparents all missed out on vital knowledge and understanding needed to ensure all cultures are seen as equals.

Of course, there are many adults that take the time to educate themselves on such a topic, but many views could still be quite outdated. Across the world, maths and reading have different teaching standards compared to social studies and history. States are not required to meet certain depth in the academic syllabus regarding such subjects. Meaning past generations have missed out.

So whilst its great children are finally being educated on such matters, I believe that all generations should be taught about Black History Month. This is because the way people have been taught to have certain opinions on different races can often impact and teach unacceptable, outdated views. These views get passed down through generations and can affect young people who are the future backbone of our society.

How could this look? We have been in a global pandemic, and now places are beginning to open up again. The UK as a country has resources at our fingertips. There are many venues where adults can be educated; there are libraries, classrooms after school, open places, such as the park. The positive side of being such a developed nation is that we have unlimited access to funds so our nation can grow mentally and modernly.

It’s time to make a change for the better of mankind.