From family support, fitness classes and learning to art exhibitions, festivals and talks, our activities are wide and far reaching.
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Entering its 35th year of celebration, Black History Month 2022 UK runs throughout the month of October. This year’s theme ‘focuses on the double -burden black people carry experiencing racism and discrimination and then being expected to fix the problem themselves.’ Therefore, by making the theme of this year, Time for Change: Action Not Words, we can come together to make a change for the better. Source: BIM 2022.
Thank you very much to our Black Lives Matter, Race and Equality Steering Committee and everyone who has contributed to the events, creations or got involved throughout the month!
We started with the creation of the Black History Month board in the entrance to our office. Hommie, Hayley and Keith created a display highlighting key individuals who have contributed to British Black History for example, Marcus Rashford and Adeoyin Olayiwola Adepitan.
The board also shows information about the creation of Notting Hill Carnival, a 3-day African-Caribbean event that takes place in Notting Hill, London every late August bank holiday weekend. It has its origins in the carnival traditions of the Caribbean and the social and political conditions of the post-1948 migration of peoples from the Caribbean.
Our Family Support Team have been covering lots of understanding and knowledge of Black History during sessions. They have done things like showing the diversity of dolls through different skin colours and cultural dress (in homemade outfits by Shamsu) in the Home Corner and reading books about identity and hair. These are used in book time not just in Black History Month but throughout the year, educating children and parents both in sessions and at home.
Parents have been cooking their cultural foods and sharing them in sessions - talking through their cultures with other parents and children. This means the whole family have been involved in learning.
The team have also been sharing information on visits around Black History Month in the local community, which a lot of parents have been attending.
The Nursery have been celebrating Black History Month through reading and learning about all of our differences. The children have been speaking about how we are all different and special in our own unique ways.
They also attended the dancing at our Colombo Centre in the Community Black History Month celebration and loved learning different dances!
On 18 October, an African, Caribbean and Asian food tasting session was organised by our Black Lives Matter, Race and Equality Steering Committee. We tried a delicious range of dishes, shared recipes and thought about ways we can keep Black History Month alive throughout the year.
The food was supplied by a local Caribbean food vendor, Carnival Pot based in Blackfriars - Kiosk 3, Blackfriars Road, SE1 8AN. We were lucky to try a delicious selection of foods.
There was a food tasting, quiz, refreshments, music and dance workshop, celebrating UK Black culture, followed by family celebrations for parents with children under 8 years old. There was also some beautiful face and body painting.
