In celebration of Black History Month 2024, The Albion Foundation’s Behaviour Change team hosted a collapsed curriculum day at The Hawthorns for Premier League Inspires students at four local schools.
Pupils from Sandwell Academy, Wodensborough Ormiston Academy, Q3 Academy Great Barr and Holly Lodge High School were given an adapted stadium tour containing details of society-shaping historical events.
Students celebrated traditional African-Caribbean music and took part in a poetry workshop all about renowned local artist Benjamin Zephaniah, presented by poet Samantha Jones.
Students were given time to ponder the theme 'reclaiming narratives' and what this meant to them, they could design a logo for a t-shirt showing their feelings towards the topic or write a poem that encapsulated this theme.
During regular mentoring sessions in local schools, Premier League Inspires students were also tasked with writing a poem about the ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ theme.
Winners of the poetry competition were chosen by Smethwick-based poet, Jones and rewarded with attendance at Albion’s fixture against Cardiff City (October 26) at The Hawthorns - the winning entry written by pupils from Wodensborough Ormiston Academy can be read below:
Jones was delighted to see so many entries, and thoroughly enjoyed reading the students’ perceptions of Black History Month 2024.
"I did a PowerPoint and we talked about heroes of Black History, inventors and we spoke about Rosa Parks, all different things, all different people within history," Jones said. "At first they probably thought, ‘oh, I can't do it’, but some of the poems that they've done are just really good.
"It's important to teach every generation about their history. If we didn't, that's how history's lost. The children or young people have to learn about their history.
"Once they learn about it, they can carry it on for their children."
Peaches Campbell, part of The Albion Foundation's Behaviour Change team who led the event, believes Black History Month is vital so that students’ knowledge of society-shaping events continue to grow.
"We also read a poem from Benjamin Zephaniah, who was a local artist who sadly passed away recently," Campbell said. "It was good for us to educate the kids about black people from the local area and their experiences, because he was an artist and he spoke about being black and what it means to him.
"It’s important to learn every day. It's important for us to educate all ethnicities about Black History because it's important and it's just good for kids to know."