Teaching material for equality
More about the Qustul Incense Burner
In a teaching article about Nile Valley Civilisations the discovery by Chicago University's School of Oriental Studies of an incense burner with its pharaonic image we discuss its significance. We believe it revives powerfully the view that Egypt civilisation was essentially of African origin at the start. Clearly its success brought in many others to make it a vibrant multicultural society, but to continue to put across the idea that Africa intervened only as late as the 25th Dynasty, as the National Geographic Magazine did in their February edition, is very far wide of the mark.
Further discussion on this artefact.
The reverse of the incense burner.
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 5:04 PM March 13, 2008
African wisdom: Ghana
A primary school teacher requested information about art from different cultures. I first responded with the story of Juan de Pareja, but I had misunderstood her request. She wanted to look at patterns and designs.
Ghanaian traditional patterns on kente cloth and adinkra prints leads to an understanding of traditional beliefs and wisdom from the Akan.
Kente cloth is woven in narrow strips and has associations with people, events or happenings. It may be a political commentary and express a particular idea or virtue. Kente cloth was presented to the United Nation as an expression of a wish to bring about peace:
"The largest known kente cloth, measuring about 12X20 feet, is the piece Ghana presented to the United Nations when Ghana joined this world organization. This cloth is called tikoro nko agyina - one head does constitute a council. By this gift, Ghana expressed to the U. N. that world peace and stability should be deliberated on by both the super-powers and non-super-powers."
"The warp threads are laid in such fashion to give a name and meaning to the cloth. At the same time, the weft designs or motifs are each given a name and meaning. These names and meanings reflect Akan beliefs, historical events, social and political organization in the Akan society, or may be named after all manner of people."
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 9:45 PM June 13, 2007
The Story of Sir Francis Drake by Mrs Oliver Elton
The Story of Sir Francis Drake was written for children by Mr Francis Elton early in the twentieth century. Drake's story is very familiar in many respects and he has been described as "a privateer", "a slave trader", "a pirate" and so on, but we know Queen Elizabeth 1st was pleased with what he did on behalf of herself and her country.
What comes out in this story which has not had much of an airing is Drake's relationship with the Maroons and a black African, Diego, a former slave of the Spaniards. Such individuals were invaluable since they had an inside knowledge of the enemy and had good reason to want to pay back the treatment that they had had. It seems Diego became very important to Drake and is mentioned in his journals second only to John Drake, his brother. Diego travelled with Drake on his round the world voyages until he was killed in battle. Drake was greatly distressed by this.
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 5:09 PM June 13, 2007
Noor Inayat Khan 1914 -1944
Noor Inayat Khan was born in Moscow in 1914. Her father was Muslim from India, her mother was American. She was a descendant of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore which meant she was a princess.
She went to France shortly after her birth, and then to London at the start of the First World War. The family moved back to Paris in 1920.
Noor became a musician like her father and she wrote poetry and children's stories. Some of these were animal stories from India called “Jataka Tales”.
The family were forced to leave France in 1940 after the start of World War 2 in 1939. In Britain she learned to be a radio operator and she flew back to France in 1943 under the code name “Madeleine”. She landed by parachute at night.
By now Paris was occupied by Germany and Noor’s radio messages to London were very important. Although other radio operators were arrested Noor refused to leave. In October she was arrested and questioned after someone betrayed her.
She was taken to Germany and put in solitary confinement in prison at Karlsruhe, classified as “highly dangerous”. In spite of being repeatedly tortured for ten months, Noor refused to give any information. She was finally executed in 1944.
In 1949 Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross, and there are memorials to her in France and Belgium.
Vital Link Educational Limited
Posted by John Tyrrell at 10:50 PM January 3, 2007 | Comments (1)
15th Ludhiana Sikh Regiment in World War I
Indian soldiers fought in France in World War 1. One regiment was led by John George (Jackie) Smyth who won the Victoria Cross for bravery. He said afterwards that the Indian soldiers should have had higher honours than himself.
On 18th May, 1915 ten men from the 15th Ludhiana Sikh Regiment volunteered in an extremely dangerous mission, This was near Richebourg L'Aouve in France, They had to take heavy crates containing 96 bombs to within twenty yards of the enemy's position under heavy fire. Two earlier attempts had failed. They had to cross a stream wwith machine guns and rifles firing at them.
Three men succeeded in getting the ammunition to their colleagues, the other eight were killed or wounded. Jackie Smyth survived along with Lal Singh and one other.
Indian soldiers fought in both World Wars in Europe, Africa and South East Asia. Over 130,000 fought in France in World War 1 and the injured were taken to Brighton on the south coast of England. There is a memorial on the South Downs which was also the site of a funeral pyre where those who died were cremated according to Indian tradition.
Vital Link Educational 2006
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 9:42 PM January 3, 2007
St Maurice of Agaunum
Maurice was an officer of the Theban Legion of Emperor Maximian Herculius' army. The soldiers were Christians from Upper Egypt. The Roman Emperor often sent troops from one part of the Roman Empire to a far distant place to reduce the chance of opposing armies being friendly. Africans were stationed at Hadrian’s Wall during the Roman occupation 2,000 years ago
Maurice and his soldiers refused to fight other Christians from Gaul (France) as the emperor Maximian had repeatedly ordered, the legion was decimated (one tenth of the men were ordered to be put to death). Even then Maurice and other leaders refused to obey, so the order was repeated until all the men were killed.
This happened in a part of Switzerland at Agaunum renamed St Moritz (St Maurice) in honour of the martyr. It is now a famous ski resort.
For over 1,000 years St Maurice was pictured as a white European, but then the painter Matthias Grunewald and other artists showed him as a black African. This famous portrait was finished in about 1523 CE,
The story of St Maurice was told by Eucherius, Bishop of Lyons in France around 234-250 CE, He had been told by others about the African legion and so some people have asked if this really happened.
We do know that there were Africans in the Roman armies and that they were sent into European countries. We know that Agaunum was renamed St Moritz after Maurice. (Maurice is taken from Moorish, a term used to refer to black people.)
Vital Link Educational Limited 2006
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 12:52 PM January 3, 2007
Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de St Georges c 1745 – 1799. Primary Schools key stage 2
Joseph Boulogne's father was George de Boulogne de Saint-Georges, a French plantation owner on the French West Indies island of Guadeloupe. His mother was a slave on the plantation, a young woman called Nanon. She was of African descent but was born on the island. They had a son Joseph, born on Christmas Day, 1745.
The family had to leave Guadeloupe. They moved to Haiti and then to France at the time Louis XV was King. Since Joseph’s father had a title he was able to join the royal court and to provide the best education for his son. Joseph was sent to one of the best schools in Paris.
In the mornings there were classes in mathematics, history, foreign languages, music, drawing and dance. In the afternoons he learned the skill of fencing. Joseph became so good in many things that he became very well known, especially in fencing and in music. He could play the violin very well and he became a composer.
Mozart visited Paris at this time and was influenced by Joseph. He borrowed an idea from his music. The Sinfonia Concertante is a form which Mozart learned about while he was in Paris. Joseph had written a number of works for more than one solo instrument. Mozart’s works with this title became very famous.
It is reported that:
“During the 1772-1773 concert season, Joseph directed and played his first two violin concertos at the Amateurs. Le Mercure [The Mercury] reported that they 'received the greatest applause as much for the quality of playing as for that of the composition'.”
He played for Marie Antoinette at the Palace of Versailles.He commissioned a set of symphonies from Josef Haydn, now known as the "Paris Symphonies", and conducted their first performance.
Posted by John Tyrrell at 1:18 AM November 19, 2006
Juan de Pareja. for primary schools: key stage 2
The painting of Juan de Pareja by the Spanish artist Diego (James) Velazquez was painted when on a visit to Rome in 1648. He was going to paint a portrait of the Pope Innocent X and so to practice he painted his servant and friend Juan de Pareja.
Juan’s mother was African who came to Spain as a slave, his father was Spanish. He was born in Seville in about 1610 and worked for an aunt of Velazquez. When she died he came as an assistant to Velazquez and helped him mix his paints and stretch the canvasses. It was forbidden for servants like Juan be an artist himself, but in spite of this Juan learned by watching Velazquez.
There is a story that Juan put one of his paintings with others by Velazquez. The King of Spain saw it and when he found out it was painted by Juan he said “this man can’t be a servant”. After this Velazquez made him a free man and they remained good friends for the rest of their lives.
One of Juan de Pareja’s paintings is "The Calling of St Matthew" which was finished in 1661. If you look carefully you can see that Juan has painted himself. He is standing on the left.
Juan de Pareja’s painting can be seen at the Prado Museum in Madrid. Velazquez’ portrait of Juan de Pareja is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This picture was in England until it was sold for $5.5 million (US dollars) in 1971.
Some think that Juan might have been the painter of pictures once thought to be by Velazquez.
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 5:41 PM November 15, 2006
Developing the Curriculum for Equality in primary schools in Kings Norton, Birmingham
Developing the Curriculum for Citizenship & Equality
Issues and Resources
1. Issues: migration, a problem or benefit?
Popular accounts of migrants play up fears on employment, alien influences and lawlessness. Evidence does not confirm these fears with contrary views that migrant labour has been a valuable and necessary contribution to the economy. A poll asking Muslims about being British found the vast majority identified with Britishness despite experiencing hostility in the media and in society.
The Independent 23/8/2006
“Immigration: This island’s story.”
“How immigrants sustain Britain’s economic growth.”
The Independent 7/9/2006
“Women migrants ‘suffer double discrimination’ “
Women migrants are at risk of exploitation and abuse, yet “they contribute billions to the economies of the countries they travel to in terms of taxes http://education.guardian.co.uk/raceinschools/story/0,,1867528,00.htmland consumption…”
Guardian 23/8/2006
.“New in the U.K: the ‘guest’ workforce who don’t stay long”
“Slice of life from 71 countries.”
Guardian 28/8/2006
“Why minorities feel marginalised”
Guardian 7/9/2006
“Muslim girls surge ahead at school but held back at work”
“Black teachers face bullying and racism, survey finds”
ICM poll of 500 Muslims carried out in February 2006.
The vast majority of those surveyed were positive about Western society (80%). Only 7% were negative thinking it was decadent. 12% didn’t answer the question.
2. Resources:
including case studies of people who have become involved with their adopted countries in conflict and peace
Daily Telegraph 23/8/2006
“Proud to be Muslim, a soldier and British.” L/Cpl Jabron Hashmi from Birmingham, killed in Iraq this year.
Islam for Today
Muslims in Britain Past and Present
Columnist Brig (retd) Noor A Husain
Muslims in the British Army during World War 2
Memories of my Sister.
Pir Vilyat Inyat Khan remembers Noor Inyat Khan G.C., killed by the Gestapo in Dachau in 1944.
U.K. Navy gets first Muslim Admiral 14/4/2006
British Community Pays Tribute to War Veterans
Birmingham Council House 2005
Observer 10/11/2002.
Caribbean honour officially restored.
String of Pearls National Army Museum
Accounts of Caribbean contribution to European wars from 18th Century
The Black Presence in Britain
includes a wide range of people, including
Una Marson, broadcaster
Harold Moody, doctor etc.
Ask.com
The site has many biographies which include:
John Alcindor, doctor
Walter Tull soldier, World War 1
Sylvester Williams, organiser of the First Pan-African Conference in London in 1900.
Samuel Coleridge Taylor, composer
John Archer, Mayor of Battersea
Shapurji Saklatvala, M.P.
William Cuffay, taylor and Chartist.
When the boat comes in: where I live – Tyne. Foreign seamen. Muslim community.
Jimmy Durham. The sergeant’s boy from Sudan.
Arthur Wharton. The first black footballer.
Black Romans.
More
Quiz on Black People in Britain and Europe includes William Davidson, William Cuffay, Elizabeth Lindsay, Olaudah Equiano, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Claudia Jones and Alexandre Dumas.
Ranjitsinji, cricketer
History of Estevanico
The Story of Sir Francis Drake
Drake works with the Maroons in Panama against the Spanish
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=langjohn&book=drake&story=golden&PHPSESSID=9f8450f610c5cb892aaf5e5525de526c
The Black Mozart: The Knight of Saint-George.
More
The Black Jacobins
St Maurice and the Theban Legion.
Asian cinema
Sikh Cyber Museum
Channel 4 Untold story
For Black History Month 2000 Channel 4 launched The Black and Asian History Map of the British Isles. The map is an extensive gateway to existing and newly created websites, searchable by location, time and subject, documenting the black and Asian presence in British history. It is an exciting, interactive resource to which you can add your own contribution. Click on the image below to go to the map.
The commitment to examine the intimate relationship between mainstream British history and stories of black and Asian Britain continues on the Untold website. Use the forum for questions and debate. Get started tracing your roots in the genealogy section. Add your own contribution to the telling of black history by joining the Black & Asian History Map project. Test your knowledge of black British history with the Blagger's Game.
Posted by John Tyrrell at 11:57 AM September 9, 2006
The Nile Valley in History. Vital Link Educational
Teaching materials for Key Stage 2 designed to raise equality issues within the National Curriculum framework.
Unit 1
Nubian Beginnings
The story
Ancient Egypt
From around 3,000 BCE the great civilisation of ancient Egypt developed in the Nile Valley. Its rulers were kings, or occasionally queens, known as pharaohs. In the first 500 years huge pyramids - the world's first skyscrapers, statues of lions with human faces called sphinxes, and tall needle-like obelisks were built in their memory. If you visit Egypt today you can still see these amazing sights.
Out of Africa
How Egypt (known as Kemet to its people) began is still a mystery. We need to look at evidence to give us clues
The first clue is geographical. The River Nile is 4,000 miles long from one of its sources in Central Africa to the Nile Delta. Its other source, in the highlands of Ethiopia, sends a flood of soil-rich water into the Nile Valley every year. Today deserts cover land on both sides, but 5,000 years ago this land was green. Archeolgical evidence shows that many people once lived in what is now the Sahara Desert. Paintings and bone fish hooks found in caves there tell us about their way of life. As it became drier people moved into the fertile Nile Valley.
An eyewitness account
Herodotus, a Greek historian, went down the Nile around 450 BCE to Elephantine Island, on Egypt's border with Nubia. He heard about the Egyptian pharaohs, the first of whom, Narmer, changed the course of the Nile. Herodotus saw that it didn't rain as much in Egypt as it did in Greece, yet crops grew in the fertile soil. He called Egypt "the gift of the Nile".
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Posted by John Tyrrell at 8:07 PM June 3, 2006
