Deeney lobbies British government over teaching Black history

LONDON: Birmingham City striker Troy Deeney has launched a petition and sent an open letter to the British government calling for the teaching of Black, Asian and minority ethnic history to be mandatory in English schools.

An anti-racism campaigner who helped to design the Black Lives Matter logo that featured on English Premier League club shirts in 2020, Deeney has written to education minister Nadhim Zahawi, saying the current school curriculum is "failing children from ethnic minorities".

"When my kids are speaking to me and saying certain things, it makes me look up and say 'what more can I do as a parent?'" Deeney told Reuters in an interview.

"My 12-year-old son is learning computer coding at school, my seven-year-old is talking about same-sex marriages and understanding that, which are both absolutely fantastic because the world is moving forward.

"Why can't we learn about the full version and view of diversity moving forward? Not just in history but in every lesson? It was implemented in Wales (last year) and in some English schools, so there is a framework. We have a solution - now we want action."

Deeney's letter, sent on Tuesday, has already prompted a response from Zahawi, who tweeted: "Troy, thank you for raising this important issue. It would be good to discuss this with you and I will ask my team to reach out."

Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 during an arrest by police, the Black Lives Matter movement inspired sports men and women across the world to take a knee to raise awareness.

For Deeney, the meaning of taking a knee has been lost, leading to him adopt a more direct approach.

"I think where we're currently at in football is players are getting very frustrated with what has