Black History Month

Great Start to Black History Month

October as you will be aware is Black History Month. The month in which black heritage, culture and history is celebrated throughout the UK. At HEHS we decided that holding an assembly would be a great way to kick off the month. On Tuesday this week, Yolanda Toussaint, an author, teacher and motivational speaker returned to Hatch End to share with our Years 7, 8 and 9, her take on History.

There are various aspects of Black History that are commonly revisited every year, such as Martin Luther King Jr’s famous ‘I have a dream speech’ or the work of the great Marcus Garvey. Instead of focusing on inspirational black figures from the past, Yolanda put a twist on what History is. She spoke to the students about their current choices and experiences and how they will one day be part of their own individual History or Herstory.

“Did you know that Usain Bolt did not have a fridge in his home when he was growing up?” was one of the many facts that Yolanda used to illustrate to the students that decisions you make when you are young, your history has a massive impact on your future.

Yolanda told the students about some of her own negative experiences at school and how instead of continuing down a destructive path she chose to prove the negative people in her life wrong by making positive choices which have led her to be the success she is today. The students were inspired by Yolanda words and understood that they are on a journey that they are in control of, that they are currently the author of their own History.

Ms Beccan​
Event Organiser