This morning, Eli, Jemima, Armaan, Ann and Alex took a very special assembly in the Cathedral to mark Black History month, which we are pleased to share with you:
Eli: Good morning. I would just like for everyone to go back to last year. The Men’s Euro 2020 final, England vs Italy. We are at the penalties after a 1-1 draw at full time and the penalties are currently 3-2 with Bukayo Saka to go. He shoots… and he misses, country wide shock. People were understandably upset, but some of this sadness turned to anger and this anger turned to racism. Hateful messages were sent online to not only him but to the other black players on the English team leading to 11 arrests for hate crimes. This is not by any means a new occurrence.
Jemima: Viv Anderson was first black person to play a full international English match. He was one of the best players at that time, playing for Nottingham Forest and winning the European cup twice. Even with this skill, he was subject to racist abuse, with bananas thrown on the pitch when he played. Anderson was forced to stay silent about the racism he faced, with a fear of having his career lost. Although this hatred is still here, attitudes around it have developed positively. Saka used the crimes against him to spark a conversation about racism in sports, creating change that has been needed for years.
Armaan: Now we are going to travel a bit further back to 1968. Here we see the formation of the British Black Panthers. This group of people came together to fight for true racial equality and to empower black communities. They found themselves providing vital information to raise awareness of racist behaviour in schools and government. The Black Panthers took to the streets and protesting against police brutality and other racial inequalities. Something which may sound familiar in today’s world. Their most famous protest was surrounding ‘the mangrove 9’. In 1970, after a local Caribbean restaurant called the mangrove was raided by the police due to the potential possession of drugs – however no drugs were found. This led to the group to raise a peaceful protest with 150 participants. But this was met with 500 police officers with riot gear, who arrested 9 people. These people - to be known at the mangrove 9 – were eventually cleared of inciting a riot. In recent years we have a growing awareness of injustices within the policing system, and the Black Lives Matter protests have brought this issue to the forefront of our minds. Many people are still victims of police brutality and so the fight for the true racial equality continues.
Ann: The struggle for racial justice through modern history has also led to some wonderful events. Following the second world war, many people migrated from the Caribbean to Britain but with the racist views held in Britain at that time, a problematic state of race relations arose. This tension built up until 1958 when riots broke out in Notting hill. It is thought that the riot began due to an argument between a white Swedish woman and her Jamaican husband. Because other people got involved, this soon intensified with a mob of up to 400 white people storming the houses of Caribbean residents. These riots lasted for 7 days, until 7th September and has left an impact ever since. The town was left shocked, but to follow this, the local community set up a ‘Caribbean carnival’ in the January of 1959. This was designed to promote cultural unity and allow people from the black community to stand together. With lots of support, the idea blossomed, with the Notting Hill Carnival officially staring in 1966 and carrying on ever since. It has grown to be the largest street party in London with over 1 million people turning up each year.
Alex: As you can see from our past, we have come a long way, but looking at our present, there is still progress to be made. We can learn so much from looking back on black history, and it is impossible to ignore the similarities to our present day. This Black History Month has a theme of Action not words, so we can acknowledge the past but to move forward we need to commit to creating a better future. We all need to be active bystanders. So, after leaving here today, if you hear or see something, don’t be afraid to speak up. Even if it’s a simple “that’s not cool” to a friend. Just like how Saka’s teammates stood up for him, we need to stand up for each other. Black History month is an amazing starting point, but we all need to come together 365 days a year because change starts with you. Thank you