Reclaiming Narratives: Black History Month

There are many important awareness days /months throughout the year but October in particular feels like a huge month for vital topics.

Such as:

Baby Loss Awareness Week

World Mental Health Day

National Work-Life Week

ADHD Awareness Month

I am delighted to introduce Paris, a new and incredible addition to the ‘Educating Matters’ team.

Paris has an extraordinary story.  She was taken into care at the age of 6, as her mum was imprisoned for child abuse.  At 13, she started reading psychology books to understand her mum’s behaviour.

Fast forward to today and Paris explores topics such as overcoming adversity in care, cultivating resilience and inspiring a corporate culture shift towards inclusion.

I invited Paris to share her thoughts on ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ which is the theme for this year’s Black History Month.

I was honored to speak at my first Black History Month event in 2015, stepping into the world of motivational speaking. Despite my limited knowledge of black history, my experiences navigating racism and stereotypes equipped me to share insights. Growing up without a supportive black family, I learned to confront challenges alone. Growing up in care was an awful experience, however, it was also resilience building.

When I left local authority care aged 17, I felt angry and confused, but hopeful. That hope led me to volunteer, supporting vulnerable individuals and being part of something greater. I channeled my anger into physical power and strength, realizing the impact it had on my mental well-being. Kickboxing became my outlet, a path to harness both physical and mental strength. While friends partied, I focused on using creative energy for a more rewarding payoff. Studying psychology helped me understand my past and led me to forgiveness and letting go.

Over the years, I have been invited back to speak, realizing that my unique journey makes me a fitting representative for Black History Month. This year’s theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ has allowed me to reflect on my story, embracing the achievements that stem from my past. By challenging historical narratives, I am reclaiming, reimagining, and transforming my journey. Black history recognizes collective achievements and looks to the future, supporting our children and promoting allyship and kindness. Let’s remember that representation matters, that all lives are important, and that some need more support to avoid marginalization.

The best parents understand the power of letting go, finding freedom and healing. We all have things to heal from, often hidden away in an attempt to move forward. It’s challenging to forget and forgive, especially ourselves. We need to be kind to ourselves, leading by example and learning from our mistakes to give our children the best legacy. True power lies in understanding and forgiving oneself. Healing starts with self-forgiveness and setting an example for our children, learning and leading with compassion.

Finally, as parents, we have a responsibility to assist in the positive development of our child, I say ‘assist’ as let’s not forget that children grow up in a particular context: everything and everyone who comes into contact with our child, has a part to play in shaping their future. What I’m talking about here is social responsibility and collaborative learning. Wellbeing is the ability of a child to actively participate in the activities that particular society, culture or community think is important and desirable, the context matters here, so let’s ensure we expose our children as much as we protect them. Exposure to cultures and communities which are different, giving them the opportunity to see and experience connections which enable them to appreciate that we are not all the same. Within this, natural role models will emerge. I’m not taking celebrities and influencers, but those who have a reputation for doing good and supporting positive change.

Positive role models are crucial for every child, and superheroes aren’t always wearing capes; some are just called ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’. We’ve got this! Showing kindness, supporting each other, and nurturing the potential in every child will help us and our children create allies and support ally-ship. This in turn, will transform our children into adults who actively support black narratives, understand narratives different from their own and act in ways which protect the positive features of those narratives.

Here is an outline of our corporate  workshop for Black History Month