Black History School Workshops

Black History Month

Our Black History school workshops provide an engaging educational exploration of key topics such as slavery, emancipation, and the legacy of transatlantic slavery. These sessions, designed for primary keystages will give your students a clear understanding of Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, its abolition, and the enduring impact on today's society.

You can bring Black History Month workshops into your classroom by integrating a variety of educational activities that cover six key topics related to Black history. Here is a practical guide on how to do this:

1. Incorporate Historical Education through Workshops

Organise sessions that explore Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, its abolition, and its lasting impact. Specialist workshops use object handling, source analysis, and debates to help students understand complex historical relationships and develop their understanding of Britain's colonial past.

2. Highlight Civil Rights and Influential Figures

A second theme that may be the focus of your chosen workshop is civil rights icons like Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, or inspiring Black British figures. Activities such as storytelling, role-play, or creative arts can bring these stories to life, helping students appreciate the ongoing fight for equality and justice both in the US and in Britain.

3. Explore Migration and Cultural Contributions

Workshops allow pupils to learn about the contributions of Caribbean communities, the Windrush generation, and the broader African diaspora to modern Britain. In addition to historical content, the workshops we feature above celebrate modern day cultural diversity through music, dance, and storytelling. Activities like African drumming where children learn to play traditional African percussion instruments like the djembe. Gumboot Dancing to learn about South Africa, apartheid, and Nelson Mandela's fight for justice. And the creative arts will give your class an amazing appreciation of African heritage and Black British culture.

4. Discuss Social Change and Resistance

Facilitate discussions and projects on the history of segregation, racial discrimination, and civil rights activism. This encourages critical thinking, using source analysis, debates, and creative projects that examine resistance to oppression and the development over time of minority rights.

5. Celebrate Modern Black Culture and Identity

Use drama projects where children perform stories about travel, cultural exchange, and identity. Activities like self portrait drawing and storytelling can give communities a sense of pride and reflection on personal and cultural identity, emphasising diversity, belonging, and shared humanity.

6. Learn about British empire building

We also have Black History workshops that delve into the history of segregation, the fight against racial discrimination, and the social changes brought about by civil rights activism. These workshops investigate the impact of British empire building, including the colonisation of Africa and North America, and the resistance to imperial rule that followed. These sessions explore the development of minority rights, and the ongoing struggles for equality.

By thoughtfully integrating these topics into classroom workshops, schools can create meaningful Black History Month experiences that educate, inspire, and foster empathy among students.