Black History Month

What is Black History Month? Black History Month is a time set aside each year to celebrate the achievements of black men and women in the past and today.

Imagine if… You weren’t allowed to sit next to your friend on the bus because they had different coloured eyes to you. You couldn’t go to the same shops as your neighbour because you had different coloured hair to them. You couldn’t go to the same school as the person sat next to you because they had different coloured skin to you.

Those examples may seem far-fetched, but… In the past, black people weren’t allowed to sit with white people and had to sit in different places on the bus. Black people had to use different doors and facilities in public services. Black people weren’t allowed to go to the same school as white people.

Why do we celebrate Black History Month? In the past, people were treated differently because of the colour of their skin. Black people were not seen as equal and were not treated in the same way as white people. The achievements of black people were ignored or not treated as being as important as those of white people. In 1987, the first Black History Month took place in the UK – over 30 years ago – to highlight the important contributions Black people have made to our country.

Mary Seacole Lots of people learn about the nurse, Florence Nightingale, who cared for soldiers in the Crimean war. One of our houses is named after her! Not many people learn about Mary Seacole, who also went out of her way to help soldiers and care for injured people in the same war. Because she was black, people didn’t pay attention to her achievements like they did with Florence Nightingale.

Mary Seacole Does it seem fair that people learn about Florence Nightingale, but not Mary Seacole? How can we help people learn about Mary Seacole, like we do Florence Nightingale?

Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was born in America, and as a child she was used to having to sit at the back of a bus because she had black skin, but she didn’t think this was fair. One day on a bus, she refused to give her seat to a white person just because she was black. She was arrested by the police and fined for breaking the rules, but people agreed with Rosa and said they would not use the buses if the unfair rule was kept, even if it didn’t affect them. Eventually, the rule was scrapped and people realised that they had the power to change unfair rules.

Rosa Parks What important lesson does the example of Rosa Parks teach us? Why is it important to stand up to unfair rules, even if they don’t affect us?

Jesse Owens Jesse Owens was one of the most successful Olympic athletes. He was born in America and won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Olympic games. His wins were especially important, because the Olympic games in 1936 were hosted by Adolf Hitler in Germany. Hitler didn’t think black people could be as good as white people. Jesse Owens showed everyone that Black people can be just as successful as anyone else.

Jesse Owens Can you think of other famous black sports people? How do you think people felt when Jesse Owens won his gold medals?

Diane Abbott Diane was born in London. Her parents were from Jamaica – her dad worked as a welder and her mum was a nurse. She worked very hard at school and went to Cambridge University. Diane Abbott was the first black woman to ever be elected as an MP. She has campaigned so that everyone can be involved in making decisions that affect them and get a good education.

Diane Abbott Why do you think it’s important for lots of different types of people to be involved in making decisions that affect us? Do you think it is important for there to be more black MPs? Should there be more black teachers, headteachers, doctors etc?

Black History Month This month, see if you can find out about a famous black person. If you are interested in sport, then can you find out about a famous black athlete? If you like music, what about a famous black musician, or some music from a different culture? Can you find out about an important black person from history, who you didn’t know about before?