I agree that, in addition to Mary Seacole, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, less well-known figures of African origin such as writer Francis Williams and artist Henry Ossawa Tanner are definitely worth knowing about (Resources, 23 September). But in the more complex multi- cultural Britain of 2011, Black History Month has passed its sell-by date.

It would be less patronising if the many achievements of black people were more subtly taught, where appropriate, as part of the normal curriculum. Highlighting one ethnic group for a whole month, with its inevitable and necessary reference to slavery, can create a sense of victimhood which inhibits what we all want: harmonious integration into mainstream society.

Stan Labovitch, Secondary teacher, Windsor