Life isn’t meant to be a straight line. There will be ups and there will be downs. Whilst normally we might feel like we can cope with these fluctuations, sometimes we need some help to get through the next day, maybe even the next hour. Here is a compilation of ideas of how to look after your mental health in a sustainable way.
Black History Month – how can I be involved?
We may have hit the halfway point of October and Black History Month but there are still plenty of ways to get involved. This year Black History Month is arguably more important than ever. 2020 has held a mirror of sorts up to the world and forced many to see the reality of racism in all its forms. From Black people dying disproportionately in the pandemic, to the horrific murder of George Floyd and the non-existent justice for Breonna Taylor – the 26-year-old emergency medical worker killed by police in her own home.
We at the SGO wanted to put together a post to signpost people to some great resources so they can learn more about why this month is so significant. The aim of Black History Month is to promote and celebrate Black contributions to British society and to foster a better understanding of Black History. The origins of Black History Month in the UK date back to the 1980s, when local community activism challenged the racism of the time in British society and questioned the incredibly Eurocentric version of history that is presented in the British schooling system.
First, I wanted to direct you to what the University are doing to mark the event this year. This year, CCCU’s theme for Black History Month is Black History 365, so not only will they be putting on events throughout October but they will be running throughout the rest of the semester and possibly into next year. Have a watch of the video above to learn a bit more about what Christ Church are going to be up to this Black History Month.
The University have provided lots of information and some resources about Closing Our Gap and will be hosting lots of events for you to get involved with. The Closing Our Gap resources can be accessed here and this includes how the university is working to close their attainment gap, videos of success stories, examples of best practice illustrating how student and staff are working in partnership to tackle the attainment gap, the research being done, the Expect Respect campaign and how to access the Report and Support scheme.
Pictured is the timetable for the rest of the event going on during October. To sign up, or to see what else is on the calendar for the rest of the semester head to the Black History 365 Events page.
Another thing the university are doing for Black History 365 is ‘spotlighting’ members of the BAME community by interviewing them in their ‘In Conversation with…’ series. You will be able to read a little about them further down the Black History 365 Events link and sign up to their webinars as well.
Black History Month is a national initiative so there are lots of resources available to educate yourself about the issue of racism and help you to understand why there is such things as the Black Lives Matter campaign. The most useful website I have found is https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk which has lots of opinion pieces and interviews as well as lots of events that are running all over the country.
If you want even more, there are lots of amazing articles out there that shine a light on influential BAME people in history as well as today – simply google what you want to know and you should be able to find some interesting information.
Please do get involved in the Black History 365 Events being run by the university. Education is the first step on the long road to equality for all.
by Fran Allen, SGO Project Officer ‘Learning for the Future’
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