October is Black History Month, a dedicated time to celebrate and recognise the invaluable contributions of Black people in British society and throughout history. The theme this year is ‘Saluting our Sisters’ to highlight the crucial role that Black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change and building communities.
Over the course of the month, boys and staff will be celebrating and honouring the stories of incredible Black women who do not normally get the attention they truly deserve.
At Bedford School this began with a school assembly delivered by Upper Sixth Former Zachary Wasterfall, who encouraged boys to be good allies in helping to destroy the prejudice and bias that is common towards Black women and share stories about some incredible Black women who don’t get the attention they truly deserve. The assembly provoked lots of questions from boys and staff, Zachary told us afterwards, “Many boys from across the year groups came up to me afterwards to ask me questions and told me how shocked they were about some of the experiences of Black girls and women. A few of the questions were not just from the boys but also members of staff sharing ideas about how they would be celebrating Black History Month within their classes or classrooms.”
Black History Month is a time for celebration of the Black experience that is often overlooked in schools, and it is also about educating students and people about the Black cultures and countries’ backgrounds.
Zachary explained, “Black History Month is a time for celebration for Black History within the UK. It is highly important due to the limited Black history many pupils are taught within the curriculum. As a community, it is helpful to uplift subsections of the community through the themes every year. With this year’s theme being ‘Saluting Our Sisters’, it is a chance for people to really acknowledge the tremendous efforts of Black women across all communities. As explained in my assembly, Black women are historically at a disadvantage due to both racial prejudice and gender discrimination, so this year is a specific year to really hail Black women for their efforts in making differences in all our communities, and by paying testament to their hard work, innovation, and ambitious dreams.”
The assembly was followed later in the week with Caribbean food in the boarding houses, and a meeting of ambassadors for the Afro-Caribbean Society – an evolution of the Eckersley Society, which was set up by boys to help dispel misunderstanding, bias and stereotypes of marginalised groups.
The boys leading the Afro-Caribbean Society met to discuss their plans for the term ahead. After a discussion led by Mrs Ore Okusanya, the boys (who represented all year groups in school) agreed that their mission is to educate and showcase their culture and heritage. Watch this space for the cultural days, themed menus in the Dining Hall, song and dance sessions, and guest speakers ahead!