Black History Month 2024 - Reclaiming Narratives
A practice theme from the national panel for all safeguarding children’s partnerships is about giving central consideration to racial, ethnic and cultural identity and the impact of this on the lived experience of children and families.
They recommend that we take account of intersectional thinking and explore how ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, disability, mental health or having been in care, alongside other social factors such as poverty and education shape the identities and experiences of children and families.
They go on to ask that we be more inquiring about how cultural assumptions and biases shape how we ‘see’ and safeguard different groups of children. Locally our strategic priorities are about being child focussed, considering the child’s lived experience and upholding children’s rights.
The theme for this year's Black History Month is Reclaiming Narratives.
In today’s world, stories are powerful tools that shape how we understand our past, present, and future. For too long, the history of Black communities has been told through lenses that often misrepresent, oversimplify, or entirely overlook the rich and diverse experiences of those who lived it. But 2024 is set to be a transformative year. Black History Month UK has unveiled its compelling theme: Reclaiming Narratives - more information and resource pack is available here.
There are related resources for educators available from BBC Teach here.
Systemic structural inequalities are evidenced all over the UK. From education to health care, outcomes of children and young people are impeded, and racism is evidenced within the very institutions that are there to protect and nurture.
One decade ago, Kowetha, a community-based organisation in Cornwall, produced a handbook for professionals to help them understand the experiences of children and young people of African, Asian, and Caribbean heritage. The report emphasised that Kowetha is based in a large rural county of Cornwall and as such experience an even greater sense of difference, due to the low density of dual heritage or mixed-race people across the region.
In 2024, Kowetha, SEEN, and other community organisations collaborated to update the handbook through co-production with children, young people, and parents to contextualise the lived experiences of children and young people of African, Asian, and Caribbean heritage in present-day Cornwall. More information and their report is available here.
In response to the findings, SEEN produced a three-step approach to help support parents, professionals, and organisations in Cornwall on the journey towards anti-racism.
See Hear Respond is a 3 step format to help schools in setting an anti-racist vision, mission, and basic principles
SEEN is Barnardo’s initiative to build a core foundation of knowledge, a network of people and advocacy for those with authentic experience.
