Black History Month always provides an opportunity to celebrate black achievement and to reflect on issues affecting people of colour. Year 13 A Level History students have been focused on this for longer than one month as they study the struggle for African American civil rights as part of their A Level history course. Black History Month and the Black Lives Matter protests have certainly helped to give this a special resonance this term.

For Zeenat learning about the struggle for African Americans for equality “is extremely fitting as clearly black people are still victims of racism in the 21st century… our history course helps us in understanding how long black people have been prejudiced against” For Mahnoor the course has “increased my knowledge of the cruel treatment black people have faced”, whilst for Callum the course is “very interesting and is raising my awareness of change and struggles”, a comment echoed by Finley who is finding the course “fascinating and making me pay more attention to the Black Lives Matter Movement”.

We have currently reached the mid 1950s in our studies and students are excited about the prospect of learning more about the amazing Civil Rights Movement which burst on the scene with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the overturning of segregation at Little Rock High School.There will be many achievements to celebrate and also issues which have a current relevance to discuss.