Total votes
5-11 votes
11-18 votes
Never just a month, it deserves to be woven through curricula throughout the year but nonetheless October is Black History Month in the UK. Individuals and events from the black community have influenced British history for as long as it has been history. You only have to ask the Cheddar Man or John Blanke.
To mark Black History Month in the UK, our voters explored this year’s theme of “Time for change: actions not words”. They considered the role of words and actions in the context of tackling racism and discussed how significant a part each plays in the fight for equality.
The debate bought up many impassioned responses from young people and even prompted students from Casterton College, Rutland to write an article about allyship for Black History Month.
"If we relied on words to solve problems we wouldn't come as far as we have."
“Both actions and words are impactful but consistently trying to make a change using actions is important.”
"Words are more specific and directed whereas actions can sometimes be misinterpreted."
Professor Hakim Adi
University of Chichester
Dawn Marine
Black History Walks
In October 2021, young people shared their opinions and thoughts on whether our differences are celebrated enough. 38,595 young people all over the UK took the opportunity to have their voices heard!
Our age 11-18 voters were clear that we should be celebrating our differences more often and, in particular outside of Black History Month.
Amongst our age 5-11 voters, most agreed that we should be doing more but they were also quicker to acknowledge the positive things we already do to acknowledge and celebrate our differences.
Both last year and this year, young people acknowledged the importance of regular action.
Last week, our students explored the fast fashion industry and its environmental impact.