Black History did not start at Slavery

Bennett is the creative director and author of The Guardian Black History Timeline, first published in the newspaper in 2008, then updated and republished in 2020.The timeline goes back as far as 43 AD featuring little known individuals and events such as the Numerus Maurorum Aurelianorum, an African auxiliary unit in the Roman army, and Mushac Reyz, a Moroccan ambassador who negotiated with Queen Elizabeth I’s court.

Gaverne Bennett was also the creative for other similar timeline projects for The Guardian and other organisations that cover subjects as varied as encouraging young people (young women in particular) to enter STEM careers, the 1929 Wall Street Crash, and International Women’s Day. Born in London of Jamaican heritage he has an extensive background in education, mostly in secondary schools in East London. He aims in his work to help us overcome our present problems by  accessing the history that often underpins them.