Black history, and why are we only to talk about this in the month of October?
I know that really, we are not. That talking about it in October is in the hope of encouraging conversations throughout the year.
So, what is black history and why is it an important topic of today?
“In years gone by, October has been the only time of year when the UK talks about the achievements of Black people in Britain” says Catherine Ross guest editor of Black History Month 2020, bbc.co.uk.
With the political unrest of 2020, how do we approach this subject with our children?
How do we have conversations that are age appropriate?
How do we talk about conversations that may be happening in the playground out of our control?
I want to talk to you about how we can approach this as a village.
Our village is all around us. It is the extension of family that we make for ourselves and our children/family. It is formed of so many people, that sometimes we are just not aware that these people are part of ours and our children’s village. This is anything from grandparents and teachers to next door neighbours.
Through our village I’d like to educate each child, and then ourselves along the way. To understand and so meet our children where they are at. In doing this, aren’t we then educating a generation to meet their village where they are at and in doing this they will with a greater understanding and so acceptance of our multi – cultural world we live in?
Through our multi-cultural village, can we find a way that black history can be part of our everyday history just as the World Wars have been for us through our state education?
We may not be able to change state education curriculum, but what we choose to talk about as a village can still have an impact.
I have been reading a book called ‘Black and British, A Forgotten History’ by David Olusoga.
David delves greatly into the history of slavery. His first introduction to the slave trade to the reader is of ‘Bunce Island’. When as early as the 17th century it was used as a slave fortress. He goes on to talk of the trauma the slaves were in, when they arrived and the harrowing times that were to face them on the Island.
Reading this book has given me a greater understanding of the differing ways that the slave trade worked, and how a little knowledge of this has given me the insight to see that the slave trade was and is bigger than what we may understand it to be.
Such an understanding of our past, helps us to understand our present and how we can all have an impact on our future. It has helped me to understand that just because as an individual we may not be a racist and have a basic understanding of slavery, that we don’t always know how individuals and families are affected today, and how our lack of understanding doesn’t help either.
So, who do you want to be in your village?
How do you want your children to walk into the village you create and support their brothers and sisters?
Do we push ourselves and so our children to create a circle that doesn’t look like the one we know?
Should we be educating ourselves that just because we aren’t racist or prejudice that this is not enough?
Can we be more supportive to our fellow brothers and sisters, get to know their history – so then how this affects their today and so how we as white privileged, are part of their history yesterday and today?
I will be starting history lessons from the 16th November, where we will talk about many topics in history.
Including how we can be a friend, an advocate and so how we create our village.
If you would like more information as to how you can sign your child up to these sessions or any of the other sessions that are on offer including 121 sessions, please get in touch.
07793020666
Here is a list of books that I found for differing age groups.
https://www.familyeducation.com/fun/black-history-month/top-15-childrens-books-black-history-month