Students at Bishop’s Stortford High School (TBSHS) used their artistic skills to make a stand against racism.
Youngsters took part in London Road’s second Black History Month (BHM) competition, creating posters to highlight their heroes.
First place went to 14-year-old Paddy Dunne, a Year 9 pupil, who highlighted the achievements of James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens, the American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
He said, “I decided to enter the TBSHS Black History Month competition because I wanted to learn about an inspirational black figure who made a positive impact on the world.
“I think BHM is important because it supports diversity among the community and we need to learn about people of all different colors who have made history.
“I chose Jesse Owens because I was eager for people to recognize what he did for the African-American community and his accomplishments in the 1936 Olympics. I also love sports, so I was interested in someone who was involved in sports and athletics .”
Kristiyan Stefanov, a 13-year-old Year 9 student, chose Baptist minister and American civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy, who worked closely with Dr Martin Luther King Junior.
Second, he said, “I believe it’s very important to acknowledge all those who fought against racism. Ralph Abernathy is an unsung hero, so I decided to use Black History Month to recognize people with his story.”
Sir Learie Constantine was the choice of Luke Askew, who is 14 and in Year 10. The West Indian cricketer, lawyer and politician served as Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to the UK and became the UK’s first black peer. UNITED
After taking third place, Luke said: “I chose to make my Black History Month poster on Sir Learie Constantine because even though he had to deal with a lot of comments and inappropriate behavior towards him, he kept going and pushing for achieve his goal of being a successful cricketer and later a politician. I think this shows great resilience and is a good example of TBSHS ‘Black and Gold Spirit’.”
Competition organizer Elizabeth Ellen, head of history, said: “Each year we run the Black History Month competition, I am always amazed by the standard of entries and the passion and commitment shown by TBSHS students when it comes to promoting more diverse and inclusive stories – 2022 was no exception!
“This year, students were tasked with researching and designing a poster to share the story of a person of color who fought for the cause of anti-racism.
“More than 100 entries were received, from all different year groups, and we were particularly impressed by the originality of many of the entries.
“While much attention was rightly paid to famous names such as Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks, it was also fascinating to see many students choosing to research lesser-known figures such as Lewis Latimer, Olive Morris or Darcus Howe. We look forward to can’t wait to see what the students come up with next fall!”
Assistant head Natalie Miles added: “The anti-racism theme was chosen to complement the work carried out across the school to ensure students continue to show the respect required of them through our school values and always have an anti-racist attitude .
“Students were given the great opportunity to ‘meet’ a black hero of their own; Michael Holding who joined an intimate group to discuss his work in the Black Lives Matter campaign and of course his love of cricket.”
