A CHARITY boss kicked off Black History Month at Roedean by urging pupils to support victims of racism whenever they see it and to battle the divisiveness of today’s world.
Tessy Ojo CBE, chief executive of the Diana Trust, a charity set up in the name of the late Princess Diana to empower children, told pupils from the Sussex independent school that racism was something that everyone could play a part in tackling, no matter how young they were.
Ms Ojo, who is also a trustee at Comic Relief, said some 95% of black British people have witnessed racism in their educational setting and more than 66000 racist incidents have been recorded in schools in the last five years.
The campaigner, who works alongside Princess Diana’s sons the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex to help children make a positive difference in their community, said: “Be an advocate when you see bullying and racism. Sometimes it’s not about solving the problem, it’s about being a friend. Ask if they are OK and if you can help. The world right now is so divisive but try to reach out to people and be curious about how they are and what they are feeling. Try to live purposefully and make progress happen and never believe that your actions, as a child, can’t bring about change.”
Ms Ojo told the room of children how her life changed when her brother died in his sleep aged just 17 from a heart issue, setting her on the path to wanting to help others.
“It made me realize that every day of life is a gift and ask myself what am I doing with the breath that I have.”
Children in the hall asked the campaigner her views on the fatal stabbing of black 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was killed on her way to her south London school last week. She said: “There are so many layers to this. We have to ask what is happening around this event that allows it to happen. Someone would have known that person was carrying a knife, they could have told someone. It leads back to being a person whose actions can make a difference.”
Ms Ojo is the first British national to be awarded the prestigious Martin Luther King Awards in recognition of her approach to leadership and humanitarian work.
Categories: Roedean School
