In the groundbreaking 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 who has had to teach problematic texts – his very existence is a provocation to the status quo, giving him a unique perspective on the UK’s classrooms.

Told through a series of eye-opening encounters based on the often challenging and sometimes outrageous things people have said to him or about him – from ‘Can you rap?‘ and ‘Have you been in prison?‘ to ‘Stephen who?‘ – Boakye reflects with passion and wit on what he has found out about the presumptions, silences and distortions that underpin the experience of black students and teachers.

This was a really great book written in an engaging and passionate style that keeps the reader reading until the end despite the challenging topic, particularly for white readers. I think currently in Britain there is a definite sense of not wanting to be accidentally racist where white people don't want to reference a black person being black at all, ever - the whole "I don't see colour" lie - but this essentially erases a part of who a person is, what their lived experience is. I found this a very educating read, at times amusing, at times frustrating, and I hope it makes its way into the hands of all teachers to help them do better at promoting anti-racism in their classrooms.

A fantastic read that could teach a lot of people a thing or two. This is a book that i would suggest everyone should read, no matter there age or what they claim to be. A fantastic and thought provoking read

What a book, what a story. Although it seems wrong to use story. This is book everyone not just teachers should read. One for students, one for people who claim they don’t seem colour. We all have alot to learn. This is just the starting point