Challenge and More Able

Changing Perspectives: Antisemitism and Film

Workshop with Year 9

Last week, my peers and I were fortunate enough to participate in an insightful workshop delivered by UK Jewish Film. It was focused on the idea of changing people’s perspectives on Jewish identity as well as promoting British values of tolerance through showcasing a series of unique films. The workshop was very informative, fostering an environment where we were exposed to the diversity of Jewish life. This allowed us to learn more about antisemitism and not only about how to recognise it but also how to challenge it. 

One of the films we were shown was titled ‘Blewey’ and it was an animation which explored the life of a young, Black Jewish boy. Growing up, he would always feel like he didn’t belong in the Jewish community due to being surrounded by ideologies which only saw Jewish people as White and Eastern European. However, this idea was later challenged as Blewey began to realise that there were more people who were like him in the Jewish diaspora. This film not only highlighted the diversity among the Jewish community but also revealed and challenged one of the many misconceptions about Jewish identity: all Jews are White.

I really enjoyed this workshop and engaging with films detailing the complexity of Jewish life and identity. It also made me think about complexity of my own identity and sense of belonging in the UK. Ultimately, the workshop was very useful and informative, offering ways film can be used to highlight as well as to combat antisemitism, and it most definitely achieved its aim of changing perspectives.

Mirabel M, 9DA

St Michael's Celebrates "All Are Welcome"! 

St Michael's celebrated "All Are Welcome" in style during June, with a series of thought-provoking lectures from the London Jesuit Centre and the Westminster Pastoral Council. Please see the thoughts of Luiza L, 12DA, below:

As a part of the All Are Welcome celebrations at St Michael’s, many year 12 students attended a talk about transgender and liberation theology led by Dr Nicholete Burbach. The insight that she provided into transgender theology and the idea that all people - no matter their gender identification and orientation - are reflected in Jesus (and in God as a whole), really encapsulated the ideas that pride as well as diversity and inclusion hope to spread, especially in the religious context in which we see it as a Catholic school. 

Celebrations also included an LGBTQ+ Karaoke session to a capacity crowd of students in the main hall.

Celebrated Civil Rights Campaigner, Arthur Torrington, visits St Michael’s

St Michael’s were delighted to welcome Arthur Torrington CBE to the college as part of our commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush in 1948. Arthur Torrington CBE is known for his substantial and tireless work researching, collecting, and archiving the histories of Caribbean people in Britain, and his work as Director and Co-Founder of the Windrush Foundation and Equiano Society. Arthur was particularly excited to hear about Ryan B’s publication of an article on ex-mayor of Southwark, Sam King (a good friend of Arthur’s) and Adrian N’s winning entry to the 2023 Black History Month Competition that also drew the attention of current Mayor of Southwark, Michael Situ. As a result of this work, Arthur wanted to come to St Michael’s and speak to our students directly. Ryan and Adrian conducted an incisive and thoughtful interview with Arthur in front of a packed audience in G18. This interview will be published in full in the 2024 edition of The St Michael’s Review. Stay tuned for a fascinating insight into Arthur’s life growing up in British Guiana and his arrival in the UK, his numerous accomplishments as a long standing Windrush champion, a youth leader and radio broadcaster during the 70s and 80s, and, of course, his ground-breaking work with Sam king. Arthur also expanded on his ongoing research and work as a Historian, focusing on the achievements of Black Britons such as Olaudah Equiano and Ignatius Sancho, and his international connections to commemorate special historic figures including a recent visit to Barbados to help establish a monument to the 1816 Bussa rebellion. Arthur also kindly gifted the college new publications of two books: the first a collection of Windrush generation poetry entitled ‘Tallawah’ (meaning strong, fearless and mighty), and the second a focus text on John Richards, one of the passengers on HMT Windrush. These signed copies are now in the 6th Form Library.

A History of Brixton and Tulse Hill Boys School

During St Michael’s Diversity Week, we were pleased to be presented with the History of Brixton by Robin Whitburn of UCL. The presentation opened with the background of key figures all having involvement with Tulse Hill Boys School, including Muhammad Ali, Linton Kwesi-Johnson, Paul Stephenson and Althea Jones LeCointe. Not far from the school in 1973 police arrested 3 young black men, one of which attended the school, Robin Sterling, on the premise of them fitting the description. All three were charged and sentenced in ‘74 to 3 years in prison. The same year Ali made an appearance at Tulse Hill for free and sparred a student in an unexpected spectacle. Black students from the school also marched for the release of the victims, resulting in the release of two boys the following year, and the final one after that. This allowed the Black community to become more vocal about excessive and violent policing. The Brixton community have a proud tradition of providing light in times of darkness. In the 70’s and 80’s, it was the home of the British Black Panther’s youth collective, and a base for the operations of the British Black Panther movement. The Brockwell 3 case was mirrored in that of Olive Morris, who was sexually harassed and taken into custody by the police at age 17 following an racially aggravated incident between the police and a Nigerian diplomat. Olive died in 1979 and essentially caused the formation of the Brixton Black Women’s group. The History of struggle and protest in Brixton carries on years past this, with, amongst other events, the Battle of Lewisham 1977 and the Brixton Riots and New Cross Fire of 1981, reaching a point today where Brixton is a beacon in London for Black struggle. I found this lecture both moving and empowering and it has encouraged me to conduct further research into local Black History. Looking forward to the next “Big Ideas” lecture series!

Gibson E, 13SA