Black History Month

To mark Black History Month, all this week, members of staff have been sharing stories that celebrate black joy and black excellence. So far this week, the following have shared their stories:

Mrs Alexandra Shamloll started things off by explaining that “as a keen track and field athlete, the main one who springs to mind is Merlene Ottey. She inspired me as a teenager; I had her on my wall as a student and I have seen her in action too!”

Ms Melissa Bustamante nominated Renée Cummings. “This is a woman who uses her formidable AI skills to design algorithms to address social injustice. Renée advocates for more diverse, equitable and inclusive AI. She’s also helping the world become a better place.”

Miss Rosalind Orchard says, “if I could choose any singer, it would be Ella Fitzgerald. In spite of no training and an appalling start in life, her music is extraordinary. If I could play piano, I love Hazel Scott, the first black American to host her TV show!”

As Ms Marjorie Delage explained, “I grew up watching figure skating, and my favourite skater was Surya Bonaly. She pushed boundaries in her sport. Although she never won a gold medal, a move was named after her: a backflip landing on one blade!”

Mrs Josephine Lane also shared that “anything at all by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as I totally love her work. If I had to pick one above the others which is super hard I’d go for ‘Americanah’, as the protagonist Ifemelu literally jumps off the page.’