1. Black history month in Humanities
This October, for black history month the humanities department has decided we would like to create a new display highlighting the lives and achievements of some of the many significant people who have contributed to the field of humanities. This will also mean that once the display is up, it will be a celebration of black history not just for the month of October, but for the whole year. To help us with this, we need you!
For homework this week, you are going to be creating a one A4 page biography of one of the figures below. You should include a picture of them, an overview of where they are from and a brief biography of their lives.
Name
What are they famous for?
Year 7: Historical figures
Rosa Parks
An activist in the civil rights movement, best known for her role in the Montgomery bus boycott. She is sometimes referred to as “the mother of the freedom movement.”
Nelson Mandela
The former South African president was famous for his role in the South African anti Apartheid movement. After 27 Years in prison he was elected as the first black head of state in South Africa.
Barack Obama
The 44th President of the USA and to date the only black man or woman to hold this post.
Harriet Tubman
An American abolitionist and political activist. Having escaped from slavery, she went on to carry out thirteen missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, family and friends.
Mary Seacole
This British Jamaican business woman and nurse was famous for her work helping the sick and wounded throughout the Crimean war.
Year 8: Religious figures
Martin Luther King
An American Baptist minister who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 until his murder in 1968.
Malcolm X
This American Muslim minister was famous as a human rights activist who campaigned for the rights of black people until his assassination in 1965.
Tenzin Gyatso
The 14th Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and a figure head for representing Buddhist values and traditions.
Desmond Tutu
This South African theologian is known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.
Simon of Cyrene
This man as instructed by the Romans to help carry the cross of Jesus of Nazareth on his way to crucifixion.
Year 9: Geographical figures
Eratosthenes
Born in what is now Libya in Africa, Eratosthenes is often credited with having invented geography as a subject. Amongst his achievements, he was the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth.
Charles Young
As well as being the first black colonel in the United States Army, Charles Young was also a key environmentalist and is credited with helping to set up the Sequoia National Park in California.
Wangari Muta Maathai
A Kenyan environmental political activist who in 2004 became the first black female to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution to sustainability, democracy and peace.
Sophia Danenberg
The first African American and first black woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.
Michael Jordan
As well as being the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan was a geography graduate from the University of North Carolina!
Black history month in Humanities