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Designed by a WA Y7 Student
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By Adin Osei-Miller
Thank you to all the staff who responded to the survey. It was really interesting and eye-opening to see staff be so open and honest about how they feel when approaching what has become a highly discussed topic and vital learning moment of our time.
I would like to start off by saying that as a person of colour (PoC) who has been teaching history for a number of years, the BLM movement this year has been quite strange and extremely overwhelming. This feeling has been echoed by a lot of friends and colleagues who are PoC. The main reason being that these have been issues that people have talked about and highlighted for years (in some cases lifetimes), so for there to be such an immediate change or movement, overnight in some cases, is still taking time to adjust to and take seriously. I imagine that this will be the same feeling being experienced in the households of many students in the school, given the demographic mix of WA. So the first point I would like to mention is to be sensitive to this, but also it might be helpful to start off by asking students about their experiences and opinions surrounding the change.
It also raises a second and more important question about why our experiences were not addressed previously - why are we so keen to keep things the way they are if it’s not working for so much of our population, especially in London? Again, I imagine this will be a common train of thought and conversation topic in many of the students' households, so I think both during BHM and moving forward it will be important to be honest and vulnerable and tell students about your previous experiences/knowledge and understanding of race and inequality in the UK. Students will appreciate it: I certainly have. I have loved being able, for the first time ever in my life, to be able to so openly discuss this with my friend and colleagues. It has allowed productive conversations and changes to take place. These conversations can also take place in the classroom and, as teachers, we’re perfectly placed to actively unpack our students' thinking and direct them to more inclusive thought.
Q) How do I use Terminology around BHM and BLM
A number of staff members have asked about the language we should use around BLM. I had a debate with a friend over the weekend about the term BAME. She hates it and would rather use the term PoC (people of colour). Another friend hates the word ‘equality’ and instead prefers the word ‘equity’. Although equality is an ideal it will never be possible whereas having equity is possible and it also allows many viewpoints to contribute to a final product. I personally never use the word ‘tribe’ as evidence suggests that it was used by colonists to justify the need to colonise African civilisations. I would rather use the term ‘ethnic group’ as it's often used to describe groups of different people who reside in the same area. The point is, different people like and relate to different words. I think when discussing appropriate terms, it is best to ask the students, what words/terms they use and to agree on a common use of language.
I really enjoyed discussing and looking at Laura Marsden’s lesson on ‘Of Mice and Men’ and whether students should pronounce the ‘n’ word or ignore it. A few students in the class had given examples of how that word had been used to their parents in the past in a derogatory context. The class then took a vote and decided not to say the word verbally. I think it is highly beneficial to engage students in critical thought about language in order to create an environment where we understand why language is, or is not, appropriate. It allows students to voice opinions and create learning moments not only for the class but also for teachers so they understand why some things may be offensive and as teachers we can challenge them.
The survey raised some really interesting questions which I want to spend some time unpacking and, as always, I’d be happy to discuss anything with you if you need signposting. I’m also going to introduce you to Robin DiAngelo and her work White Fragility. DiAngelo’s essay explores the concept of fragility, what it looks like, and how we can start taking accountability. Her essay is by no means unproblematic in itself, however many of the points she raises are relatable and perhaps this could be a springboard to further anti-racist reading and thought.
Q) How to incorporate Black history into my subject, and without it seeming tokenistic? There is a lack of knowledge of appropriate Black role models within my subject area.
Many staff have mentioned/asked this in the questionnaire. I think it varies from subject to subject but I think in this case it is best to be honest with students and ask questions like ‘why does it appear that there are no Black/PoC role-models in science?’ etc. More importantly, why aren't we aware of Black/PoC role models in our subject areas? It's not that there aren't any.
Society has only deemed the work and contributions of certain people from specific demographics as valuable and has ignored contributions of others. For example, we in Britain are proud of our contribution (especially in the North of England) to the industrial revolution, however what is never mentioned is; where did all that cotton that was produced in the mills come from? Both parts, equally important, however one part is omitted due to the uncomfortable facts. Also, it is important to explain to students that there was and can be argued still is a systematic erasure of Black people in popular history for a long time. For example, we all know Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, however Lewis Latimer (a Black man) invented the carbon filament which ensured it stayed alight for longer than a few seconds as well as make electric lighting more affordable. In languages students could look at African words which have now been incorporated into the English language.
There are thousands of appropriate role models across all subject areas but the onus is on staff to actively find them. Could students do this as homework and present back on who should be included perhaps? Also, it may be worth re-defining how we look at the word ‘impact’ or ‘contribution’ when looking at marginalised peoples histories because often we only include exceptional PoC whereas often white people can be often over represented.
Q) How do you discuss systematic racism with students especially when emotions might run high with students in the class. Equally, I am very aware that as a white male there is a danger that me presenting to a majority BAME audience about BLM issues may be viewed as patronising.
Structure and planning. As with all sensitive topics which are taught emotions might run high which is normal and as teachers we are able to facilitate this with proper planning. It is also worth taking some time to develop some knowledge on systematic racism as this will help prevent the conversation being derailed - ‘Why I’m Not Talking to White People About Race’ by Reni Eddo Lodge could be a good starting point as well as information here. It will also be helpful to then link it back to highlighting the importance of education as a form of breaking these systems. It also might be worth getting students to suggest ways that we can begin to include more inclusive practices.
Q) That it is something which doesn't concern people of other ethnic backgrounds. How do I teach this concept in a way that is more inclusive - i.e. how do I mobilise all students?
Teaching in such a multicultural school I think this is a great opportunity to mobilise all students, as we would with other movements. It would be important to emphasise that all history is important and Black history is an important element to British and World history. Staff and students can always research their own personal history. For example I tell students about my surname; Osei-Miller. Osei derives from a king who led the powerful Ashante empire in modern day Ghana. I then talk about Miller. A Scottish name most likely given to my ancestors during slavery on the plantations of Guyana (Britain's most profitable Carribean colony) by Scottish colonists. Staff could also link Black history and talk about how racism exists across all continents and in all cultures: be it colourism within ethnic groups, ethno-religious racism, or racism against PoC many cultures will have faced struggles based on the colour of their skin.Something that will require staff to develop knowledge about. It's important to think about how this translates to our context as the UK, London and WA.
Q) I think advice on how I can teach Black history in a way that not only provides the right knowledge to students but also doesn't make any Black person in the room uncomfortable e.g. heavy focus on oppression; insensitive use of images and videos; giving a white lens on the Black experience.
Teach it in a positive and exciting way in the same way you'd teach normal history or a new concept in your subject area. I often give Black history the title as ‘the lost pages of human history’. There are many topics across the school curriculum which are sensitive but ultimately we as teachers are responsible for our own learning as we work for an institution that some might say enforces racism (exclusions, grades, opportunities etc -b) and c) below). We should be learning for ourselves in order to facilitate these discussions and provide sufficient answers and reading for students who’d like to know more. We may not get it right the first, second or third time but it is best to learn and try again: that’s the only way we grow. If we do this, we reduce and eliminate the probability that Black students will feel uncomfortable, and maybe even give them a platform they didn’t feel like they had before. It’s so important we don’t rely on Black children to teach us about racism - we are the teachers, it is not the Black community’s responsibility to teach others about structural racism, they did not build it that way.
Q) I would love to have a reading list/watching list of resources that I can access to learn more in my own time
Reading
Watching
13th - Documentary by director Ava DuVernay (can be found on Netflix)
When They See Us - Docudrama by Director Ava Duvernay (can be found on Netflix)
The School That Tried to End Racism (on 4OD)
