October marks Black History Month in the UK. It is a month where we not only learn about and reflect on the history of civil rights in this country, but also try to uplift and recognise figureheads who influenced the world in both the past and the present. At St Albans School, the Diversity Society and faculty focus our teaching on prominent issues in the Black community.
Our weekly Monday lunchtime sessions are devoted to the topic of Black History and we encourage students to come and be involved in our discussions (with the bribery of snacks). We created various competitions open to both students and teachers focused on these topics, such as an essay review competition on a select list of movies that showcase Black excellence in media (reviewed by yours truly), and a history essay competition on the mindset to social change.
On Tuesday 4 October pupils enjoyed a talk from actor Mitchell Zhangazha (OA 2013). We also had a return visit of the African steel pan drumming workshop! Thirty pupils had a wonderful time playing a combination of djembe and steel drums.
This wide range of fun activities will hopefully encourage everyone at St Albans School to take an interest in learning about Black History and create an environment where we can celebrate different cultures and openly talk about the issues in our current world.
Noah, Upper Sixth Form, Diversity Prefect
