We welcomed teacher and lawyer Mpula Lawton this morning to present to Pre-Prep and Prep School pupils.
Working with the ARISE project (Anti-Racism In Schools and Education), Miss Lawton draws on her experiences as both a teacher and human rights lawyer to empower young people with the skills to end discrimination. Miss Lawton presented age-appropriate talks to children from Year 1 to Year 8; examining the many forms prejudice can take and how we as a society can promote a culture of fairness and inclusion.
She spoke powerfully about her own hurtful and shocking experiences of interpersonal and institutionalised racism which she experienced from childhood, prompting pupils to think about how they would feel if they, too, were discriminated against. Older pupils were also asked to think about social media platforms where racism can be rife and the casual stereotyping that seeps into everyday life. During the talk, the children joined the discussion on how discrimination and prejudice can affect everything from mental health to career choices.
"Your biggest superpower," Miss Lawton told Year 1, "is to be YOU". By celebrating and accepting we are all different, and understanding that by the virtue of being human each person deserves respect, she says we can 'dismantle racism' for good. #GetUpStandUp @ariseprojectuk