EMPIRE, RACE AND… POSTAGE STAMPS

The Black Lives Matter protests that followed the despicable killing of George Floyd in Minnesota have made the world sit up and take notice; who would have thought any news story could overshadow the global pandemic that has changed our world?

Around the world these mostly peaceful marches have seen justifiably angry citizens protest against the shocking police brutality that was captured on film and broadcast around the world. As the events have unfolded, many of us have been prompted to question our attitudes to race, to reflect on our own country’s history, and to further explore the ways in which systemic racism has weaved its way through our society for centuries.

In Britain, the history of the Empire is something we are all familiar with, but do we have a biased view of this difficult period? The subject has rarely been taught in schools – today’s curriculum often focuses on the Civil Rights struggles of Americans such as Rosa Lee Parks and Dr Martin Luther King rather than dwelling on