By Kirsty Ralston, Head of Humanities, The Royal Liberty School
Each October our school takes the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month (BHM) through assemblies and links to topics across the curriculum. It is a wonderful opportunity to discuss the importance of Black contributions to science, politics, academia, social change, sport and much more. Staff from across subject areas, not just the history department, speak with passion to our students and have run activities, competitions and poster campaigns celebrating Black excellence.
Questions to consider:
- Is it important to consider who delivers your Black History Month messages and celebrations?
- Should this just be the job of the history department and if so, what message does this send about inclusion?
This year I delivered assemblies on the BHM theme of ‘Time for Change: Action Not Words’ alongside other colleagues sharing assemblies on science and sport, as part of a school wide, month-long celebration. Too often school Black history celebrations focus on American examples and fail to teach young people to be proud of the rich history of Black Britons. Without this vital component, students might fail to understand the contributions of Black individuals and communities to modern Britain. I presented examples such as the Bristol Bus Boycott and Notting Hill Carnival to celebrate action inside Britain. Students told me, by show of hands, that they didn’t know the names Altheia Jones-LeCointe, Claudia Jones or Paul Stephenson, whilst Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Junior drew almost universal recognition. These assemblies are an opportunity to recognise such figures and also build respect and recognition for important British narratives.
Questions to consider:
- Do your Black History Month celebrations and curriculum adequately represent Britain?
- If we don’t include these British narratives does it separate Britishness from Blackness? What misconceptions might this create or build on?
Whilst we take great pride in celebrating Black History Month, it cannot be true action unless the school community makes this a priority year round. It is one of our core ideals that Black history should not only be confined to October, because omitting Black narratives means inaccurately teaching British history. Our students learn about the Black presence in Britain from the Roman Empire until today, carefully woven throughout our modules. Whilst we teach trans-Atlantic slavery, we ensure this is grounded in medieval and early modern histories of West Africa, including Mali and Benin, and importantly how this is tied to European colonialism and the Industrial Revolution. We teach, not only about the British abolitionist movement, but also about Toussaint L’Ouverture, Nanny of the Maroons, the Igbo Landing, as well as cultural resistance through custom and tradition. Stories of human rights abuses cannot, and must not, be the beginning or the end of the story. In the modern era, Black British narratives and individuals must also not first appear in our curriculums with the Windrush Generation, this can create dangerous misconceptions. World War One, World War Two and Nazi Germany are taught almost universally and provide ample opportunity for history departments. We have also taken up the new GCSE Migrants in Britain module, as these narratives should not end at key stage 3, no matter how tight the time restraints on the curriculum.
Questions to consider:
- Are Black British narratives and individuals present throughout your curriculum, or only in modern curriculum? What misconceptions might this create?
It is ‘Time for Change: Actions not Words’ and it is vital that we take genuine action, through harnessing the power of our curriculum to broaden the perspectives of our communities, rather than just words in the month of October.
