Black Boy at Eton

Author: Onyeama, Dillibe
Publication date: 03/02/2022
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780241993811
Series: Black Britain: Writing Back

A powerful insider expose on the inherent, systemic racism present at Eton in the 1960s from one the first black students to attend

Dillibe was the second black boy to study at Eton – joining in 1965 – and the first to complete his education there. Written at just 21, this is a deeply personal, revelatory account of the racism he endured during his time as a student at the prestigious institution. He tells in vivid detail of his own background as the son of a Nigerian judge at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, of his arrival at the school, of the curriculum, of his reception by other boys (and masters), and of his punishments. He tells, too, of the cruel racial prejudice and his reactions to it, and of the alienation and stereotyping he faced at such a young age. A Black Boy at Eton is a searing, ground-breaking book displaying the deep psychological effects of colonialism and racism.