On Tuesday 11th of October, Ellern Mede Orange Tree welcomed our first guests of the academic year, The Black Curriculum - a new social enterprise founded in 2019 by Lavinya Stennett to address the lack of Black British history in the UK Curriculum. The powerful, yet accessible, talk was part of the Black Curriculum's 'Conversations with Young People' series and explored our students' understanding of colonialism and its continued relevance in modern-day culture. The event kicked off Black History Month and the topic of diversity which we will be celebrating over the next few weeks.
Our speakers began by asking the students what they knew about ‘colonialism’ and used that starting point as springboard to discuss a wide variety of issues such as the African slave trade, the influence of social media on our beliefs and even the jewels from the Queen’s crown! Everyone - teachers included - went away having learnt something new or with newfound contemplations about the British culture we all live in and navigate through in our everyday lives.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the talk was the collaboration between the speaker and a visual note taker who captured the conversation in real time. This meant that ideas were shared and displayed as a storyboard in the exact moment students were speaking them, with their written thoughts accompanied by beautiful illustrations. The final work (see image) not only serves as a poignant reminder of the topics covered by the speakers but also acts a prompt for students and teachers to think creatively about different methods of recording events outside of the normal ways prescribed by the curriculum. We feel extremely lucky to be able to keep and have as a wall display at school!
Overall, the session was amazing, and it was clearly expressed to students that they were entitled to have their own opinions about the concept of colonialism, giving them the them the freedom to explore the particular significance of colonialism to their own lives. Equally important was the emphasis on students being open to the opinions of others which linked to the broader ideas and issues surrounding diversity that the school is highlighting and celebrating this month. We are sure that this talk will certainly not be the last in a long line of great talks to come!
