How Wokingham is celebrating Black History Month 2024

At Hawkedon Primary School in Earley, each year group has been learning about influential black Britons from all walks of life, such as space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, AI and robotics entrepreneur William Pasi Sachiti, and footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford.

Hawkedon Primary School (Image: CEM Wokingham)

To complement these studies, the school's catering team prepared a special lunch menu during the month, featuring dishes like soul-smothered chicken, Caribbean-style sweet potato and vegetable pie, coconut rice, and lime cake.

Hawkedon Primary School included special lunches (Image: CEM Wokingham)

Charvil Piggott Primary School in Charvil held a sharing assembly as part of its activities, where each class shared the work they had been exploring during lessons.

Charvill Piggott Primary School (Image: CEM Wokingham)

Bearwood Primary School in Sindlesham has been focusing on reclaiming the narrative of Africa, portraying it as a vibrant and positive place, which those with African heritage are proud of.

The school showcased their work in an assembly.

Bearwood Primary School (Image: CEM Wokingham)

Students at CAMHS Phoenix have been creating biographies of influential black people, imagining how they might feel through writing letters from them, and studying and responding to poetry.

A Year 11 student wrote a piece in response to the poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson and Dave’s ‘Black’.

October is Black History Month (BHM), which provides an opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture.

This year, the focus is on correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold success stories, contributions, and achievements of past and current black individuals, with the theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.

Councillor Stephen Conway, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said: "Black History Month is an important date in the council’s calendar and we are always keen to support it and encourage others to do the same.

"This year’s theme is incredibly important because black communities have for too long had their stories and histories told by others."

The council has supported the setting up of an independent Equalities Forum, which is community-led and provides representatives from local groups with a platform to discuss the needs and aspirations of their communities and shape services.

For Black History Month, Alice Kunjappy-Clifton shared her thoughts on this year's theme.

Wokingham Borough Council explored the theme at a webinar, which was hosted on October 28 and featured members of the borough’s Equality Forum and guest speakers.