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I Heard What You Said (Hardback)
Jeffrey Boakye (author)Published: 09/06/2022
Structured around the numerous prejudiced statements that Black writer and teacher Boakye has encountered during his time in educational institutions, I Heard What You Said is a considered and ferociously intelligent riposte to systemic racism in the UK.
Before Jeffrey Boakye was a black teacher, he was a black student. Which means he has spent a lifetime navigating places of learning that are white by default. Since training to teach, he has often been the only black teacher at school. At times seen as a role model, at others a source of curiosity, Boakye's is a journey of exploration - from the outside looking in.
In I Heard What You Said, he recounts how it feels to be on the margins of the British education system. As a black, male teacher - an English teacher at that - his very existence is a provocation to the status quo, giving him a unique perspective on the UK's classrooms.
Through a series of eye-opening encounters based on the often challenging and sometimes outrageous things people have said to him or about him, Boakye reflects on what he has found out about the habits, presumptions, silences and distortions that black students and teachers experience, and which underpin British education.
Thought-provoking, witty and completely unafraid to call out some of the most pressing issues of our times, he offers sharp analysis, lively patter and a clear vision for how we can dismantle racism in the classroom and do better by all our students in the future.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781529063745
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 490 g
Dimensions: 223 x 145 x 38 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Essential reading for teachers, those who run educational institutions, parents – but perhaps most of all for Black children . . . it could be a ray of hope. - The Guardian
Makes a powerful case: until we have rid our educational system of its dominant whiteness we cannot hope to give all our children the educational experience they need and deserve. - Rt Hon Lady Hale
Brave, brutally honest, funny and necessary. Jeffery captures the Black teaching experience in such a powerful and potent way. The book of the year. - Ben Lindsay, author of We Need To Talk About Race
Written with passion, fury, knowledge and, in spite of the painful subject, wit. - Patrice Lawrence MBE, prize-winning author of Orangeboy
Deeply compelling, intellectually rigorous and essential. - Nels Abbey, author of Think Like a White Man
Personal and political, profound and playful, Boakye's sharp analysis of the classroom and the staffroom is essential reading for anyone with a stake in education. - Darren Chetty, co-author of How to Disagree
I couldn't put it down . . . a must read. - Laura Henry-Allain MBE
An incredibly powerful, gripping book . . . energising, uplifting and optimistic and eye-opening and challenging. - Tom Sherrington (@teacherhead)
I found myself being educated, delighted, saddened, informed, surprised, shocked, touched and enlightened in turn . . . A must-read book. - Sue Cowley, author, presenter and teacher
A signature blend of endearing wit and engaging prose. - K. DeMi Ryans
Timely and thought provoking. - Leninna Ofori (@healingoverhandbags)
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