In response to the recent death of George Floyd in the USA and the waves of anti-racist protest going on around the world, the project will involve the analysis and discussion of poems and songs by writers including American poet and social activist, Langston Hughes.
Students will then be challenged to write and perform their own pieces exploring what they have learned about racial inequality.
The project complements work that happens throughout the year and for girls of all ages on a wide range of texts exploring thematic concerns of race, class, poverty, injustice, inequality, immigration, gender, religious and cultural differences. Writers covered include Grace Nichols, Imtiaz Dharker, Benjamin Zephaniah, John Agard, Niyi Osundare, Edward Kamau Braithwaite and Sujata Bhatt.
Director of Teaching and Learning and English teacher, Mrs Jo House said: “The Literature provision in our curriculum aims to open up debate and discourse around many important ethical issues. No matter where we are in the world, these issues are central to basic human rights and help our girls to understand why it is important to challenge injustice when they see or hear it.”
“In lessons, we always concern ourselves with characters, themes and issues in the stories we study. We learn about human struggle, we learn about injustice and engage with the characters or people in these stories and imagine what it would be like to experience what they experience, at the time the text is set and written. Likewise, we also consider and discuss the writers of these texts, and their own contexts. The value of incorporating such a broad curriculum is imperative, because one of the most important ways to challenge racism is through education and understanding.”
There are more projects and lessons aiming to further educate girls of all ages about racism set to take place over the coming weeks.
