Lavinya Stennett, at 29, founded The Black Curriculum to embed Black history into the UK national curriculum and empower students with identity and belonging.

Reparatory justice lies at the heart of the mission: truth-telling in history should drive structural changes through education and broader social reforms to address the harms of enslavement and colonialism.

The piece places The Black Curriculum within a larger series on reparatory justice and invites readers to learn more about the organization’s work.

Since its inception, the organization expanded from a few South London schools to interest across London, Manchester, and internationally, with reports showing increased confidence among Black and white students after engaging with the course from 2020 to 2024.

Stennett’s path—from SOAS African Studies to scholarships in New Zealand—highlights the absence of empowering African history in standard curricula.

The Black Curriculum trains teachers, engages directly with students, and campaigns to integrate Black history across schools, prisons, and museums, producing diverse resources such as zines, animations, podcasts, and both digital and physical materials.

Stennett’s Jamaican heritage and experiences visiting Ghana and Kenya shape her views on identity, belonging, and the global relevance of the curriculum.

She points to the enduring effects of colonialism on healthcare, education disparities, cultural identity, and lineage loss for people of African descent, advocating re-education and reparations.