‘We’re not being allowed to reach our potential’: The 23-year-old leading the charge to make black history mandatory in school

Lavinya Stennett set up Black Curriculum a year ago to demand a more diverse syllabus. Now the SOAS graduate is being inundated with support, writes Colin Drury

‘There are so many ways such inequality needs to be addressed,’ says Lavinya Stennett. ‘But to stop it being perpetual, you must change education’ (Lavinya Stennett)

Lavinya Stennett may be one of the few people in the UK not currently offering an opinion on statues.

The 23-year-old Londoner is the founder of Black Curriculum, a social enterprise set up to campaign for black history’s mandatory inclusion in the national school syllabus.

The organisation is currently seeing a surge in support following two weeks of anti-racist demonstrations across the country, she says. Almost 100,000 people have downloaded its open letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson asking for pupils to be taught a broader view of history.