October 12th 2024
In this issue of ‘Word from the Head’, I am once again sharing the platform with Deputy Head Tiffany Squire, who is writing in celebration of Black History Month.
This month is Black History Month, which is something we are keen to raise awareness of at Moulsford. Whilst we do our best to represent different cultures and heritage, we are well aware that our community itself is not very diverse. As such, we need to work even harder to seek opportunities to learn from others. We strongly believe that opening our minds and embracing differences makes us better people.
The theme for Black History Month this year is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ and the aim is to give voices to black people, who may have been omitted from the history books. Whilst the achievements of figureheads like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mary Seacole should never be overlooked, it is also important to recognise the accomplishments of many others throughout history.
Mr Beardmore-Gray’s assembly this week focused on the team that helped John Glenn to become the first American to orbit the Earth, linking Black History Month with our STEAM Week theme of ‘Stars’. It is less well known that as part of NASA’s team there were a number of African-American women who were outstanding mathematicians and engineers and were pivotal to the success of this mission, and ultimately the lunar landings. In particular the assembly focussed on the extraordinary contributions of Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan & Katherine Johnson pictured above. When placed in the context of black segregation at the time, it makes their stories even more remarkable.
Black History Month has been woven into lessons across the school and displays have been created to highlight important black figures - both current and those from the past. Books by black authors are being shared with the children and, where possible, lessons have been created to enhance the curriculum in line with the ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ theme.
The English department was able to combine BHM with National Poetry Day and the older pupils have studied a poem by Jackie Kay entitled, ‘In My Country’. Their lessons have encouraged reflections on race and identity. Despite being written over 30 years ago, the poem addresses the casual racism and ‘othering’ continuing in society.
In PSHE, some of the older children have thought about the impact of racism in the past and how it compares to racism in the present day. The global outcry after the death of George Floyd in 2020 and, more recently, the riots that took place in the UK this summer, are evidence that the world is still not accepting of those who may be perceived as different.
As the name suggests, Black History Month only runs for one month of the year, but at Moulsford we are committed to ensuring these conversations continue throughout, not just in October. We have to actively seek out opportunities to learn about different backgrounds and cultures in order to help build a future that celebrates and respects everyone, regardless of their background.
