Black History Month
As part of our on-going commitment to promoting diversity, students organised a range of activities to celebrate different aspects of Black culture.
Our Deputy Head Girl for Diversity & Inclusion, Axelle, reports back on the month’s events:
We began the month with a whole school assembly by Wendy Shearer, an oral historian and black storyteller, who shared stories from the Windrush generation and Caribbean tales, including the story of Anansi and Fire. Inspired by her storytelling, we introduced weekly sessions at lunch to expose people to stories from other cultures and spark discussion; members of the Diversity & Inclusion team told tales such as Tonton Chien ac Neveu Chat, and Mrs Paul shared a poem and book extract. Cultural theorist Dr Shehnaz Suterwalla from the Royal College of Arts also led an enriching session on the movie Lovers Rock, broadening our understanding of the concept of the Black aesthetic.
Continuing with the theme of storytelling, we introduced a ‘book trolley’ which was available throughout the month. This functioned as a portable library, with staff and students able to sign out books from a curated selection which included poetry collections, fiction and non-fiction. Bunting in the atrium enabled us to share even more literature and art, showcasing book covers, titles and artwork.
Staff and students were exposed to a range of Black music, with tracks by Black artists playing in the atrium every morning. Sixth Formers engaged in a form time activity, listening to specific songs and answering questions designed to spark discussion and introduce our students to new musicians.
Overall, this month’s activities have enabled us to fully appreciate and celebrate the diversity within creative fields, and enrich our understanding of the folktales, stories and songs that are fundamental to Black cultures. By recognising the differences within cultures we become increasingly aware of our similarities and, as a school, we can continue making the world more inclusive, accepting and fair.