Pupils at Lawn Manor Academy have taken the lead in celebrating Black History Month by turning the tables and becoming the teachers to share inspiring stories of Black pioneers with the whole school community.
Year 10 pupils Mangmaa and Delores and Year 11 pupil Cornel wrote and led assemblies exploring influential Black figures in sport, music, and art under this year’s theme of ‘standing firm in power and pride.’ They spoke about Jesse Owens and Wilma Rudolph, who overcame adversity and racism to achieve Olympic glory, and celebrated Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Lewis Hamilton for their lasting impact beyond their fields. Delores also celebrated her Nigerian heritage and introduced the school to the work of artist Yinka Shonibare.
Cornel, who is from Tanzania, also took to the stage to perform cultural dances and taught some Swahili to the school too.
Mangmaa explained: “Black History Month is a very important time. Everyone should be more aware of the inspirational Black people, like Jesse Owens who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics despite it being a time of Nazi ideology. Wilma Rudolph also showed that anyone can be an athlete and overcame childhood disease, as well as racism and sexism, to be the first Black woman to win three Olympic gold medals. Lawn Manor is very supportive of recognising the value of everyone’s cultural background and encouraging us to ask questions and find out more.”
Delores added: “People like Lewis Hamilton are showing that Black people can win despite discrimination and James Brown’s songs became anthems for Black people to give hope in times of racism.
“At school we celebrate our different cultures, with people cooking for others to try, as well as people coming in from the community to take part in events too.”
Throughout the month, lessons and tutor sessions across the school will be exploring Black pioneers in fields such as business, geography, and sport, as well as Black stories from across Swindon thanks to resources from Swindon Libraries.
Alex Gasche, Head of Social Sciences at Lawn Manor Academy, said: “It’s so important for our pupils to recognise and identify with pioneers from a vast array of backgrounds and cultures, both locally and internationally. Knowing that people like Malcolm X addressed Oxford University in the 60s and closer to home, Paul Stephenson’s part in the Bristol Bus Boycott encourages pupils to reflect on leadership and social change. Hearing stories from their fellow pupils and from voices from across Swindon also helps reinforce that Black history is important and that racial discrimination is still as much of an issue today as it was 50 or 100 years ago.
“We are incredibly proud of Mangmaa, Delores and Cornel for leading such engaging and thought-provoking assemblies. Their confidence, research, and passion show how strongly our pupils value inclusivity and cultural understanding at Lawn Manor Academy.”
Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust. For more information, visit www.lawnmanor.org
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