Black History Month Poetry Competition
October in the UK is Black History Month. As a school, we wanted to use this opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions that black people have made to our society. This year, the theme of the month is ‘Saluting Our Sisters’, which aims to highlight the remarkable achievements that black women have made in the fields of literature, music, fashion, sport, business, politics, academia, social and health care and more!
At the start of the month and to mark the occasion, we launched a poetry competition. This competition asked students to learn about black women who have made significant contributions in various fields. They needed to write a poem about a pioneering black woman and explain why she is inspirational.
We were absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of brilliant, heartfelt and well-researched poems that were submitted! Our students chose to celebrate a wide range of black women, both modern and historical. From Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks, through to Simone Biles and Beyoncé, our students produced so many beautiful poems about inspirational women.
After much deliberation, we selected our KS3 and KS4 winning poems. Congratulations to Lydia W in Year 10 and Jessica O in Y9! Thank you for your wonderful poems – prizes will be headed your way! You can read their excellent poems below.
We also selected ten ‘runner-up’ poems, which were also both powerful and inspirational. Well done to:
Eden F (10S)
Harshey R (7J)
Jessica R (8S)
Maisie L (7G)
Alice T (7S)
Saffy E (8H)
Ruby C (10J)
Abigail M (7S)
Zaakirah M (10J)
Rosie Y (10H)
Thank you to everyone who submitted a poem! The high level of engagement with this competition was truly wonderful and it was a pleasure to read every poem submitted.
Miss Starkie and Mrs Hall
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman, a hero so very brave,
Led so many to freedom, all of them slaves,
Daring and strong, she fought for their rights,
She never gave up without a fierce fight!
She was a conductor of the railroad,
A life’s long mission was bestowed,
Harriet’s secret web of pathways,
Gave liberation and happier days!
Harriet Tubman, the champion of the underground,
Led so many to freedom and escape from the compound,
Determined and brave, a traveller at night,
She never gave up on anyone’s rights!
A monetary bounty on her head,
Many searched and wanted her dead,
A fugitive outlaw hiding in the dark,
Over 300 enslaved would soon embark.
Harriet Tubman, a heroic nurse of the sick,
She assisted patients’ recovery, they healed really quick,
Sensitive and caring, their futures were bright,
She was a beacon of hope and guiding light!
A union spy who was undercover,
She helped the army to discover,
Gathering intelligence behind enemy lines,
Scouting and snooping were her secret signs.
Harriet Tubman, a hero so very brace,
Led so many to freedom, all of them slaves,
Daring and strong, she fought for their rights,
She never gave up without a fierce fight!
Lydia W (10S)
Black History Month Poem
We all know about Rosa Parks,
Who paved our future when she felt a fearsome spark,
To defend herself by keeping her chair,
She made others on the bus look and glare.
She didn’t see the meaning to the black and white ,
We’re all human, and that’s nothing to debate and care,
It may not be front and centre, but it’s there.
Mary Seacole’s achievement is the next story I’m going to tell,
She wanted to provide those in war with nourishment and care,
So, she asked for the funding,
But ended up finding her own way there.
She gathered a group of nurses to assemble a team,
Then they travelled to Crimea,
So proud that she made herself beam.
Next, I’ll talk about Claudia Jones,
Who set up a campaign to make sure her ideas were show,
She wanted to spread the word about civil rights,
By publishing newspapers, but not making a fight,
Finally, I’ll talk about Catherine Johnson,
Who was the only one would could complete the sum,
The sum to send up Apollo thirteen,
She had practiced her maths, this wasn’t a dream.
This poem has been about saluting our sisters,
Putting them first instead of the Misters.
Jessica O (Year 10)
Miss Starkie
English Department
