Learning cultural roots

CRMKB – Cultural Roots Knowledge Base.

By Tarsem Singh Cooner and Sarbit Kaur Cooner in association
with Trilby Multimedia.

Available from Trilby Multimedia, 148 Poplar Avenue, Edgbaston,
Birmingham, B17 8ER

£35.00 (inc. VAT)

This extremely effective CD-ROM aims to help black and Asian
children understand their cultural roots.

The programme has assembled basic information on many major
figures in the African diaspora, such as Claudia Jones (deported
from Trinidad to Britain in 1955 where she started the first
newspaper for black people), Mary Seacole, a nurse in the Crimean
war, and major ‘black Atlantic’ figures such as Marcus Garvey and
Malcolm X. Other sections convey information on the Caribbean
islands such as main cities, population, languages.

Alternatively, the Asian diaspora takes one into the world of
Sikhism by looking at the teachings of ten Sikh gurus, as well as
providing a basic introduction to the Punjabi language with
pronunciation guide to colours, numbers and face parts.

The authors promise us this is the first volume of several. One
cannot praise too highly the appealing, consistent interface which
links text, colour, pictures, the spoken word and music, all at the
command of a mouse-click.

The authors intend care professionals to use it when they are
with the children, and provide an intelligent set of ideas for
doing so. By mingling quiz, timelines and maps with a sense of
respect for culture it achieves what it sets out to do.

John Pierson is senior lecturer in social work,
Staffordshire University.