October 10, 2016
Here at One Day we pride ourselves on teaching young people about respect and diversity and we create and deliver many workshops which explore cultures from around the globe. In light of this we wanted to raise awareness of Black History month, which is celebrated in October.
The acknowledgement and support of Black History may be at a peak due to recent events. There has been turbulence among Black communities since 2012 when a young black man (Trayvon Martin) was wrongfully killed. Since this, there have been numerous incidents of police brutality towards young African American men and women, which instigated the movement ‘Black Lives Matter’. The creators of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign said ‘#BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise’.
It is imperative that we understand and remember the struggles and plight that Black people went through, the inspirational people that made a stand for change and why this should still resonate within modern society. The icon for the Black civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, said ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’. We believe messages such as these should be instilled in young minds, to learn that we should not be intolerable to difference and that every life is just as important as another.
Black History month’s theme this year is ‘Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories’. This year we are invited to recognise places and areas of the world which were affected by slavery and segregation but also places in which Black men and women have gone to College and University, and where Black Rights rallies have taken place. The essence of Black History Month is to pay homage to the past – to say ‘Thank you’ to all those activists that fought to make a change, to affirm black lives, to show respect and kindness to everyone, including those who have been marginalised.
Our ‘I have a dream’ workshop explores influential figures including Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela, examines the Civil Rights Movement and celebrates the achievements of these great people throughout history and in modern times.
Click here to read more and enquire about our ‘I have a dream’ workshop.