Queen Ethelburga’s Student Equity Ambassadors Celebrate Black History Month
Written by Rotola O.O.
In the United Kingdom, October is a month to honour the legacy of Black people and acknowledge their experiences. As Equity Ambassadors, we have been involved in many activities to educate the QE community on this, with a focus on Black History in the UK.
The Pastoral Centre was adorned with pictures of people of African descent and their stories. This display was a step in showing that black people continue to make positive differences in the world, industry by industry. Motivational phrases such as ‘Persevere like’ prefaced information about the inspirational figures, their context, and what they’ve achieved. A wide range of people were exhibited, from the noble Nigerian nurse Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu to star sprinter Dina Asher-Smith. Smith, who has Jamaican and Trinidadian heritage was the first British woman to win a world title in a sprint event. She raised the bar for Black women all over the world and showed us that success was possible, and barriers could be broken. There were also colouring sheets that had short texts about who was on the sheet.
Arts and Crafts at Chapter House
To raise awareness, the Chapter House Equity Ambassadors held an arts and crafts session with the younger years, where we assisted in making ‘Everybody belongs’ hands with a heart in the centre. On the heart were quotes by impactful people like Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks. The younger years showed interest in learning about equality and joyously took part in the crafts. For the older ones, there was an interactive quiz on inspirational black figures and exploration of their stories. All members of our community got the chance to increase their knowledge of equality and diversity.
Educating the School on UK Black History
Continuing our celebrations of the month, we made a video about significant moments in the history of black people, specifically in the UK. When Black history is discussed, the magnifying glass is often on The United States, and we felt it was important to shift the focus. Our Sixth Form Ambassadors brought to light the struggles many have gone through, like the Bristol Boycott, but also the culture they created despite this, for example the Notting Hill Carnival. Not many know the Carnival, which attracted some 2 million people this year, was created by Trinidadian Claudia Jones in response to race riots in 1958. Her attempt to cool the tension and celebrate unity has become an emblem of Caribbean culture in our country.
From informative slides in the Undercroft (the lower schools' dining hall) to making a ‘Guess the African and Caribbean Flag’ game with pictures and facts about the country, our aim this month was to not just display, but to educate. We have drawn attention to the struggles and influence Black people in the UK have had. Queen Ethelburga’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors continue to encourage cultural appreciation and respect. For the many contributions Africans and Caribbeans have made to the economy, culture and country in general, the least we could do is draw attention to the other side of the coin; the side many ignore. It is incredibly important to inform this generation and the next of the injustice minorities everywhere face because from there we can inspire change. One step at a time.
Happy Black History Month!
Meet our fantastic Equity Ambassadors at an Open Day or by booking a Private Tour - contact Admissions to find out more.
Watch The Equity Ambassador's UK Black History Video
