Narrative
Black Teacher
Beryl Gilroy · 1976
Synopsis
A qualified schoolteacher from British Guiana, the author arrives in London in the early fifties and discovers that the colour bar closes the schools to her: for want of anything better, she works in a factory, serves as a maid, washes dishes in a café. When a poor Catholic school in Bethnal Green finally hires her, her pupils, fed on their parents' prejudices, hide under the tables when she arrives; she uses art and drama to broaden their horizons, under the often wary gaze of her colleagues.
Context
The book was published in London in 1976, seven years after its author took over as head of a primary school in the capital. Long forgotten, it was reissued in 2021 by Faber with a preface by Bernardine Evaristo, who challenges anyone to read it without coming away moved and entertained. Some educationalists had doubted the truthfulness of its accounts; today it is read as a rare testimony on the Windrush generation.
Who it is for
An autobiographical narrative in English, in direct language, translated into French under the same title; no prior knowledge is required.
Prizes and reception
Rediscovered in 2021 as a classic, it led to its author being hailed as one of the Black pioneers of the British school.