Reflecting on Black History Month

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Reflecting on Black History Month
November 4th 2021

Reflecting on Black History Month

Reflecting on black history month, Lower School pupils were given a task to research around this topic, from researching a person, event or movement and presenting it in the form of their choosing. Lower School pupil Oscar responded to this task with an outstanding poem.

Philip Craven Head of History said, “It is entirely his own work and he was superbly engaged with BHM, even coming to some extra talks during the two weeks we had in school. I am really impressed not just with the history behind his poem but with the maturity with which he was able to tackle a tough and challenging topic”.

*As I tread along the track *

With this cotton-filled sack

I think to myself is there more

Will my hands always be sore?

*Should I be out here all day? *

Ripped clothes but no pay

I can’t do this today

But the men in power all say:

*You’re gone, you’re beaten down *

But even as they say these don’t frown

*Then I think that *

I’ve seen this before

In past generations

And so many more

*As I was running *

I think I found

The railroad of

the Underground

*But I couldn’t just leave *

I had to help,

my family

had stayed in hell

Then I became

The underground captain

helped my family escape

The hell they were trapped in

*I was captured *

many times

but I never ever

let it break my stride

*Even as I am beaten *

And even as I am broken

I’ll never release

What I’ve been hoping

-Oscar, Lower School 2