Children’s book portrays Picts as black

I really don’t care when fictional worlds based on medieval British/European folklore gets diversified for a modern audience. It’s fiction, after all.

Doing it with actual history though gives me a major ick.

“When the idea was initially conceived in 2021, the creative team behind the work released a video stating: “We’re proud to bring together some of Scotland’s leading archaeologists, with a host of queer, marginalised and disabled voices to dispel misconceptions of the past.”

A genetic study published in 2023 found that the Picts – who were concentrated in north-east Scotland – were descended from ancient Iron Age populations who had long lived in Britain.

The same study also found that there was clear genetic continuity between the Picts and modern-day Scots in the same region.”

We shouldn’t allow people to invent a history that did not exist to fit contemporary social narratives. The stories involving ancient Black people that are likely most interesting and factual are those relating to continental Africans.

Does it matter that Scotland or anywhere else was or wasn’t racially diverse a couple of thousand years ago? What matters is now, surely. I know it’s helpful to know that our society has been multiracial (albeit on a smaller scale than in the last 100 years or so) for a long time but there’s no need to just make stuff up; surely later finding out the Picts were not black would be upsetting to a black kid who had read this and believed they were?

There’s plenty of evidence of black Britons in the past, just not *that* long ago and not in that area. But this is like claiming there were white people in South Africa two thousand years ago. I get it’s done with good intentions but it’s not very educational if it’s incorrect, is it?

People of different races *did* find their way to Britain occasionally throughout history, but those were individuals, traveling traders and ship crew members and the like.

The core population of Britain throughout history has mainly come from waves of migration from Scandinavia, where limited sunlight ensures any long term population trends towards lighter skin.

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> The book also claimed that “Britain has been a mostly white country for a lot less time than it has been a mostly black country”.

Is there any evidence to suggest this? I would’ve thought that, as a cold, northern European country, we would’ve evolved to be as white as every other northern European country. Not mention being invaded by the Romans, Vikings, Saxons, Normans etc – all of whom would’ve been of European origin. The Moors didn’t make it as far as Britain.

I’d be curious to know the source of this claim, just out of academic interest.

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Is anyone with immigrant heritage actually impressed by this nonsense? My ancestors spent generations in Bangladesh and my parents were the first in my family lineage to migrate to the UK. I’m not ashamed by this, I think integrating and assimilating into another culture is a normal part of life. I feel and believe I am British because I like the country and its culture and am willing to be a productive and law abiding citizen and receive the goodwill of my neighbours. I don’t need some historical revisionism to feel more British, that just feels insulting.

I helped my 8 year old niece with her homework the other night.

All 3 books didn’t have a single white person in them, it was all either black or brown families… she goes to a small village school which is 100% white.

It feels they’ve tried so hard to be “inclusive”, they’ve ended up excluding the majority of the population and is rather ridiculous.

Bit of a weird article. Looks like it’s a game set in a Pict world.

Is there any actual evidence that non-white children don’t pick up books if there’s no non-white characters in the book?

White writers tend to write characters who are white, unless you have certain books where race really isn’t a factor (such as The Gruffalo).

I even googled the above and came along this quote:

>Teacher, Darren Chetty, says: “I’ve heard children say that they think their written stories should be about white children.

Really? He’s explicitly heard children say “I’m drawing white people”. We wrote stories as kids, even illustrating one. Race was never ever a consideration, because I was like 9 years old…

BBC published and article in 2017 and if I’m going to be honest, and idc if it’s insensitive, it just sounds like another excuse for funding.

A BAME writer complaining there needs to be funding for minorities to get books published. Or you know, good books get published and don’t need to rely on some form of excuse?

Just feels like the whole movie situation where BAME actors complain they can’t get roles instead of just being better actors. It’s absolute cancel culture if a white person portrays a non-white character, but you’re suddenly far-right if you moan a non-white actor plays a white character.

I’ll write a kids book about Genghis Khan or maybe the Inca and show them as blonde haired white people then. Should be absolutely fine. /s

This is like me saying the Japanese built Rome it’s just fundamental a lie