Supporting Black History Month across the Trust

We marked Black History Month across our academies this October with a range of activities that highlighted the significance of Black culture, history, and contributions. These initiatives fostered understanding, celebrated achievements, and promoted inclusivity within our school communities.

This year's theme was "Reclaiming Narratives," focusing on empowering Black communities to take control of their own stories, history, and representation.

At Ashton Sixth Form College, the Library created a display of books for students to explore, focusing on Black stories, achievements, and contributions. Additionally, various resources were shared in tutorials and lessons to provoke thought and encourage discussions around Black history and culture. This initiative aimed to inspire deeper reflection and understanding among students, contributing to a broader awareness of diverse narratives.

Longdendale High School hosted special assemblies for Black History Month, where students learned about the inspiring story of Len Johnson. Despite facing significant discrimination, Johnson demonstrated remarkable resilience and pursued his dream of becoming a professional boxer. Through his journey, students were encouraged to reflect on the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity and the value of standing up against injustice. The key takeaway was the invaluable lesson of listening to and learning from diverse voices and stories of resilience.

At Rayner Stephens High School, students from the Asian Afro-Caribbean Society delivered assemblies on "Reclaiming the Narrative" for Years 10 to 7, sharing powerful messages about the importance of owning and celebrating their own histories and identities. The Student Council also worked on a series of 'Black Heroes' activities for each subject area, designed to highlight influential Black figures relevant to various academic disciplines and inspire students across the curriculum.

At Fairfield High School for Girls, the English Faculty have encouraged pupils to select books from our physical and online library that celebrate diversity and black history with respect and dignity. The school library hosted a competition for pupils to be entered into a prize draw if they contribute to our Black History Month tree of knowledge display. Assemblies are being held for each year group to celebrate Black History Month and to explore the theme of 'reclaiming narratives'.

Through these initiatives across our academies, we were proud to create spaces for dialogue, education, and celebration of Black history and contributions, helping to build an inclusive environment for all.