Black History Month 2021

Black History Month is celebrated in the UK every October.  This year the theme is Proud to Be.  Information regarding the month and the various celebratory activities taking place are available through clicking here. 

The whole school assembly this year focused on the origins of Black History Month which began in the US in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson who was the son of former slaves and it was difficult for him to get access to a good education.  Despite this, Woodson went to Harvard and started Black History Week to highlight the contribution black people made to the US.

Catherine Ross from Black History Month UK said for 2021 the focus was to "be on celebrating being Black or Brown, and to inspire and share the pride people have in their heritage and culture - in their own way, in their own words."

Black History Month is an event dedicated to recognising the contribution of those in the UK with African or Caribbean heritage with campaigners saying that this has been overlooked and ignored for many years.

The assembly focused on a range of individuals who have contributed over diverse fields ranging from Bernardine Evaristo OBE, the first black winner of the Booker Prize to Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (space scientist and broadcaster) and Idris Elba (actor).

Recent news regarding the unveiling of a statue in Cardiff of Wales's first black headteacher Betty Campbell was shared along with the point that Wales is to become the first UK nation to make the teaching of BAME histories mandatory in the school curriculum in 2022. 

The assembly also focused on how racism has been at the forefront of public events in recent months with one example being the Hungary v. England match in September where racist chants were heard against Raheem Stirling and Jude Bellingham in particular.  The Stand Up to Racism movement has been trying to mobilise the anti-racist majority in support not only of these high-profile players such as Marcus Rashford but also everyday people.  Students watched a clip of some Premier League players discussing what Black History Month means to them followed by a reflection by Rageh Omah (International Affairs, ITV News) on Black History Month. 

Carter Woodson began his work in 1926, nearly a century ago, and yet we are still hoping for a world where people celebrate black history all of the time and not just in October. Students were encouraged to remember to be proud of what makes each and every one of us unique and were asked to stand up to racism and advocate for diversity, inclusion and equality.

Further information regarding Black History Month is available here.