16 OCT 2024
Black History Month Assembly 2024
An informative assembly for Black History Month.
We should not ignore uncomfortable truths in history, but rather face them if we are to build a more just society. This was the message of the recent Black History Month assembly presented by four students and history teachers Alison Thomas and Lucas Thornley.
In exploring the theme of Black History Month, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, presenters focused on the history of race in Bristol. Poppy Ouvaroff and Hugo Somers from Year 10 told the story of the Bristol Bus Boycott in the summer of 1963 and how it arose from the refusal of the Bristol Omnibus Company to employ Black or Asian bus crews in the city.
The assembly was shown a video shot at the time illustrating the prejudice common in the early 1960s among many White Britons that led them to actively discriminate against the Black people of Bristol. In another video, Black rights campaigner Roy Hackett reflected, at age 90, about how resilient he had to be in the fight to change attitudes towards Black Britons.
In 2020, Bristol hit the headlines again for activism around race and the city’s legacy as a slave trading city in Briton’s past. Connie Longman and Hector Williams from Year 10 described the toppling of a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston and the eventual jury acquittal of four of the people who had thrown the statue into Bristol harbour.
Alison Thomas, Head of History & Politics, said: “It’s seen as inappropriate by many people in a multicultural city that they should have to walk past a statue about the slave trade. There were multiple requests for it to be taken down before it was pulled down by protesters, and the acquittal of the ‘Colston Four’ is now seen as a seminal moment in how Britain is coming to terms with its past.
“Sometimes the truth about our history is uncomfortable or awkward, but ultimately all society benefits if we co-exist without prejudice and discrimination."
Head of Science, Andy Richardson, then spoke to students about the lack of recognition of Black scientists by the famous Nobel Committee – a Black scientist has never been named a Nobel Laureate. Senior and Sixth Form students are being encouraged to write to the Nobel Prize Awarding Committee urging it to do more to recognise Black scientists. Andy went on to set students a task to do their bit to recognise Black scientists.
An information board about a range of prominent Black Scientists is located in the Science Block near room S4. Students can scan QR codes to find out more about each scientist. The Firefly task is to choose a scientist and write a letter to their science teacher suggesting why they should be considered for a prize. The submissions will be forwarded to the Nobel Committee.
