Lavinya is a writer, author, and Founder/ Director of The Black Curriculum.
She has written her first poetry collection, ‘27’ out now and debut book, 'Omitted' due to be published soon.
Having graduated in a BA African Studies and Development from SOAS University, London in 2019, Lavinya was inspired by her learning and experience in New Zealand to set up The Black Curriculum in 2019 aged 22.
During university, Lavinya was engaged in student activism as the ‘Working Class Student Officer’ and co-founded a society called Art and the African Mind, which aimed to promote and provide African-centred art and information as well as support for students.
Continuing to engage in her love of writing, Lavinya published her dissertation which won the inaugural Walter Rodney Prize, and has written on social and cultural themes throughout the African diaspora for outlets including the Guardian, Black Ballad, Quartz Africa.
Believing in the power of education she has just written Omitted - her first book out in 2024 which dives into popular misconceptions about Black history, and asks why education still hasn't changed, even in schools now.
The Black Curriculum
The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise founded by Lavinya Stennett in 2019, working to teach and support the teaching of Black history all year round, and aiming to empower all students with a sense of identity and belonging.
Though the organisation existed before 2020, it rose to prominence and continued working primarily with young people and schools to address the lack of Black history being taught in UK. The approach of the social enterprise is based on the arts, includes campaigning the English government to embed Black British history, and giving direct education to young people and teachers via multimedia forms.
Since 2019, The Black Curriculum has worked with thousands of young people, schools and produced digital and physical resources with an array of partners for the public.
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Recent Awards
Lavinya was recently named as Changemaker 2023 by Limitless Awards, one of the 40x40 Future Leaders by the Black Cultural Archives 2022, Future Bold Woman runner up for the 50th Veuve Cliquot Awards in 2022 and Sunday Times 50 Women of the Year 2021