Schools are still hiding the violent truth of the British Empire

Historian Paula Akpan on what's missing from the curriculum. Plus: The Black women of history erased from the record books + an exclusive extract of Akpan's groundbreaking debut book.

Historian Paula Akpan's debut book takes us into the worlds of queens and warriors. Pic (left): Maëva Vitéla (right) Trapeze

Speak to many in the UK, particularly Black and brown folks, about their formative history education, and you will encounter some version of – “we never learned about XYZ at school” – especially when it comes to the role Britain played on the global stage, i.e. empire and colonialism.

As a historian, I hear it so regularly that it has become a cliché. Bu…