It's still not part of the British education system.
— Ray Quarless2022
Ray Quarless
Ray Quarless is from Liverpool, where he lives and works as a community activist around issues that impact Liverpool’s Black community. In the full interview, Quarless discusses his family history and generational ties to Liverpool, his frustrations with the British educational system neglecting the history of racial slavery, and his activism as a form of freedom-making.This interview was conducted in English in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Watch the full interviewConversation Transcript
Oh. Yeah, I learned it’s about slavery, I suppose through a process of interaction and information coming to me from sources other than the education system, because slavery is— was never encompassed within the curriculum of the British education system. I found out about slavery, I suppose, in my late teens, early twenties. I was aware of it, but not the intricacies and the forensics, detailed elements of history and its impact that I know of today. So that’s how I came across slavery. Over the years in relation to the true nature of its impact upon global history. It’s just never come across to us in the way it should do. And the status quo still remains in that respect. It’s still not part of the British education system. I don’t think it will be, particularly in the context of the type of government that we have today and who are in denial basically about the transatlantic slave trade.
