The theme of this year’s Black History Month is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ which will encourage pupils to honour the legacy of black innovators across science, technology and society. We will celebrate the remarkable achievements of Black pioneers whose ground-breaking contributions have significantly impacted our world.

Students from our EDIB committee gave an assembly this week to explain the history behind celebrating black culture and icons, and provide details on what is coming up at school that pupils can get involved in.

Our Friday assembly started off with introducing various historical black icons and their achievements. The girls were then asked to consider questions such as:

How have black icons shaped the world we live in today?

What can we learn from their struggles and successes?

How can you contribute to reclaiming narratives in your own life or community?

As well as elements of black history being incorporated into the school curriculum, a number of our clubs and societies will also be acknowledging and celebrating Black History Month, including the following activities:

• Diversity Society will be hosting an Afro food and cultural exchange festival, as well as an Afro dance party given by Yolanda Newsom
• Physics will be hosting a birthday party for Mae Carol Jemison, a NASA astronaut and first African-American in space
• Literature Society will dedicate their studies to Black History Month, studying works such as ‘Giving a voice to Imoinda, the enslaved African princess.’ A story involving love, murder, a feminist wild-child from Canterbury, a Caribbean professor from London and an enslaved prince from Ghana
• Senior Book Club will be reading ‘Small Island‘ by Andrea Levy which is about Caribbean migration in the post-war period
• Creative Writing Club will study an image and respond through poetry, letters, first-person perspectives, monologues, vignettes or historical fiction. The imagery will include key events and celebrations like the Windrush arrival, Notting Hill Carnival, Stormzy at Glastonbury, as well as acts of activism.

Keep an eye on our website for these fantastic events hosted by our staff and students over the next month in celebration of Black History!