Black History Month

October

Black History Month isn't the only month where we teach black history...

...but it is a time where we focus and place special importance on a part of our country's history that had for too long been ignored, avoided and forgotten!

Brothers In Arms

A British WWII military propaganda poster, showing fighting personnel from every corner of the British Empire.

OUR EMPIRE

At its height 200 years ago, Britain's Empire stretched around the globe, its territories, colonies and trading centres touching every continent and every race, creed and colour of man.

OUR COLONIAL HERITAGE

But 'colonial' ideas of that time are now being publicly re-examined, and much of what was seen then as acceptable and right, is now often considered as racist, unjust and wrong!

HISTORY RE-EXAMINED

These 'truths' can be painful and embarrassing realisations, but they need to be seen in their correct context.

This is why studying History isn't just learning names and dates, but its investigating, questioning and challenging events, circumstances and previous interpretations.

Don't Shut Your Eyes

This statue of Edward Colston (1636-1721) was blindfolded in a protest against the 'deliberately ignored' history behind his wealth.

Colston was a very wealthy merchant who supported and endowed many schools and public institutions in England. His contributions were much celebrated in his birth place of Bristol.

But much of his money had come from his involvement in the British slave trade. In 2020, with growing awareness and disapproval, angry protesters eventually wrenched his statue from its pedestal and threw it into the harbour during an anti-racist protest.

 History Is being Made Every Day

The graffitied and damaged statue of Colston is now on display in a Bristol museum, testament to today's thoughts and actions.  

Black History Month is much more than just a list of famous black people!

Miss Campbell led a series of impassioned assemblies, ensuring that our students not only knew about great and famous black people, but also examining why their contributions and achievements had often been suppressed or not given equal status.

A reminder of incredible black contributors in our lives.

Miss Campbell and Canons High as a whole, are very proud of ex-student Karl Queensborough, whose successful drama career included playing the leading role in the West End production of the immensely successful 'Hamilton'.