" A powerfully enthralling account of a trailblazing black British Guyanese teacher’s experiences in post-war Britain."
What a voice, what a story, what experiences, and what a vital record of the Windrush Generation experience, as told by a skilled teacher who came to Britain to be confronted with racist colour bars in place of the anticipated welcoming arms of the colonial Motherland. Black Teacher is an important, engaging and eye-opening piece of social history, and its author, Beryl Gilroy, has outstanding literary flair - her dialogue and evocation of character is first-class.
Born in British Guyana in 1924, Beryl Gilroy arrived in Britain as an experienced, respected teacher and yet, “Here I was, over twenty years later, feeling and acting like a novice. I was afraid to go to school.” So Beryl said to her husband ahead of beginning her second term as the Headmistress of a North London infants school (in 1969, she was Camden’s first black headteacher). And the reason for her trepidation? The school was “full of tense, fighting people,” its pupils disruptive due to boredom and a lack of purpose, with parents who mutter that there’s “nothing but blacks everywhere.” And all this followed years of battling to secure a teaching position - Beryl moved to Britain in 1958 to study Child Development, but found herself continually overlooked for teaching positions. As a result, she took work as in an office, then as a lady’s maid, while never giving up on her vocation.
Throughout the author is an inspiration - a loveable, valiant pioneer whose story, resilience and dedication had me enthralled from start to finish.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
| Other Genres: |
The rediscovered classic: a trailblazing Guyanese woman's memoir of post-war London, introduced by Bernardine Evaristo ('full of wit, perceptiveness, humour and compassion')
Benjamin Zephaniah: 'A must-read. Her life makes you laugh. Her life makes you cry. Get to know her.'
Jacqueline Wilson: 'A superb but shocking memoir ... Imaginative, resilient and inspiring.'
Steve McQueen: 'Gilroy blazed a path that empowered generations of Black British educators.'
David Lammy: 'This empowering tale of courage, resistance, and triumph is a breath of fresh air.'
Diana Evans: 'Important, enlightening and very entertaining, full of real-life drama ... Inspirational.'
Paul Mendez: 'Written with a novelist's ear and sense of atmosphere ... A vital and unique testament.'
Alex Wheatle: 'A pioneer in many fields and wonderful example for all of us ... Essential reading.'
Christie Watson: 'A beautiful memoir of one woman's strength and dignity against the odds.'
Being denied teaching jobs due to the colour bar. Working in an office amidst the East End's bombsites. Serving as a lady's maid to an Empire-loving aristocrat. Raising two children in suburbia. Becoming one of the first black headteachers in Britain.
In 1952, Beryl Gilroy moved from British Guiana to London. Her new life wasn't what she had expected - but her belief in the power of education resulted in a revolutionary career. Black Teacher, her memoir, is a rediscovered classic: not only a rare first-hand insight into the Windrush generation, but a testament to how one woman's dignity, ambition and spirit transcended her era.
Black Teacher features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Memoirs, Autobiography: general, Social and cultural history, History of education, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Biography: general, History: specific events and topics, History, History and Archaeology, Education, Society and Social Sciences, Relating to peoples: ethnic groups, indigenous peoples, cultures and other groupings of people, Relating to specific groups and cultures or social and cultural interests, Interest qualifiers, Society and culture: general, Social discrimination and social justice, Racism and racial discrimination / Anti-racism, Social and ethical issues
Black Teacher is available in Paperback, Hardback, , Ebook
Black Teacher was written by Beryl Gilroy and published by Faber & Faber
Black Teacher has 288 pages
£9.89
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