KS1 Black British History: Betty Campbell

Hi, I'm Nigel, television presenter and actor. As you can see, I'm black. I was born and grew up in London, in the United Kingdom. My mum and dad and aunties and uncles moved here from Guyana, but I still have extended family living there.

Did you know that there are over two million black people living in the UK just like me? Most black people moved here to make a better life for themselves, and many have worked really hard to shape British history and they've really made a difference.

This is the story of just one of them. The first ever black headteacher in Wales, Betty Campbell. As well as being an important teacher Betty is actually one of the people who started Black History Month in this country.

Betty Campbell was born in a place called Butetown in Cardiff in 1934. Cardiff is the capital city in the country of Wales.

Betty's mother had one parent who came from Wales and one parent who came from the island of Barbados in the Caribbean. Betty's father came from another Caribbean island called Jamaica.

Betty's mother wanted her to try her very best in school, and she did! She was a very good pupil. In fact, she enjoyed learning so much that she dreamed of becoming a teacher herself.

One day, Betty told one of her teachers about her dream. But sadly, that teacher told Betty that a black girl from a poor family could never become a successful teacher.

Betty said of that moment, she went back to her desk and cried. It was the first time she'd ever cried in school. But it made her more determined she was going to be a teacher.

When Betty grew up, she had a family of her own with four wonderful children.

Then Betty started training to be a teacher. In 1960, she was one of only six female students at Cardiff Teacher Training College, which is where people go to learn how to be a teacher.

When she finished her studies, Betty began teaching in the place where she'd been born - Butetown - at the Mount Stuart Primary School. Betty taught there at the same school for an amazing 28 years.

It wasn't always an easy time for Betty because people said bad things about her just because she was black. But Betty stayed strong and worked hard to eventually become a headteacher in 1970 - the first black headteacher in Wales.

Once Betty had become the headteacher she started to make changes in the school to make sure none of the children had the same bad experiences that she went through.

Betty always said that she was inspired by famous black people like Martin Luther King. She wanted her pupils to know that many black people had done really important things, and she was determined that all children right across the UK should learn about those things in school as well.

So Betty became one of the people who started Black History Month in the UK, which is such an important time every year.

Betty's hard work made her famous. In fact, so famous that when one of the greatest world leaders, the amazing Nelson Mandela, came to the UK, he went to meet Betty.

Betty also received an award called an MBE for all her work in education.

Betty died in 2017 at the age of 82. Hundreds of people lined the streets at her funeral because they wanted to say a final goodbye to her.

Then in 2021 a statue was put up in Cardiff to mark her life and achievements, and Betty's children and grandchildren were there to see it happen. The statue is a lasting celebration of Betty's wonderful life.

*(Recap) Betty Campbell was born in Cardiff in 1934 and dreamed of becoming a teacher, even though one of her teachers told her to forget the idea. But Betty stayed strong and worked hard and became the first blackhead teacher in Wales, going on to raise awareness about Black History Month, which we celebrate every October.

Betty, you're an inspiration to us all!*