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PICTURED: Jeremy Corbyn

JEREMY CORBYN is set to unveil plans for children to learn about black British history in schools.

The Labour leader will make a speech in Bristol today (Oct 11) to mark Black History Month, where he is expected to tell crowds that school children should be taught about the legacy of the British Empire, the country’s role in slavery and how black British activists like Paul Stephenson should be as well known as African-American figures like Rosa Parks.

According to Huff Post UK, Corbyn is expected to say “Black history is British history and it should not be confined to a single month each year,” as well as reveal plans for Labour’s new ‘Emancipation Educational Trust’.

The Trust - expected to be launched under the new Labour government - is set up to teach future generations about slavery and the struggle for emancipation, and will deliver programmes in schools, as well as organising trips to historic sites.

“In the light of the Windrush scandal, Black History Month has taken on renewed significance and it is more important now than ever that we learn and understand as a society the role and legacy of the British Empire, colonisation and slavery,” Corbyn will tell the audience, accompanied by shadow equalities secretary Dawn Butler.

“It is vital that future generations understand the role that black Britons have played in our country’s history and the struggle for race equality.”

The move has been welcomed by race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust, with its director Dr Omar Khan saying: “Teaching this history is important not just for BME children, but for everyone in Britain.

“Knowing our past isn’t just a question of historical literacy, but of recognising who Britain is, and of learning from the struggles and contributions of those who opposed racism so that we can better further those values today.”

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