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Black History Month - local heroes creating daily miracles

Thursday 1st October 2009

I read Bishop Desmond Tutu’s introduction to Black History Month today, and was struck by the powerful challenges he has set us once again. Having heard Desmond Tutu speak last year, a privilege that will remain with me forever, I know that the questions he asks today would be couched in humour which hides the seriousness of the subject, but spoken with piercing eyes that need to extract the truth. He asks “does the oppression from the past still encroach on the lives of citizens today?” He talks about who the local heroes are that create daily miracles, and asks when we will be able to acknowledge our neighbours as brothers and sisters and not as foreigners.

On my desk is the latest report from Leap’s work in Bexley. It highlights that the young people and youth workers we have worked with this year on our Crossing Frontlines – Preventing Racial Violence programme have begun to bravely address some of the often unspoken issues that are present in a society with BNP European representation. Following on from work we started this summer to create safe places for young people to hold dangerous conversations about racism and oppression, 14 young people have now begun to challenge the status quo.

Too little? Too late? I think Desmond Tutu would agree that this type of work takes years to establish and even longer to embed. So Desmond, one answer to your question “who are the local heroes?” Why, some young people in Bexley, some enlightened youth workers and Leap’s staff and trainers.

Peta Boucher

Leap Youth Programmes Director