[S]choolchildren are celebrating Black History Month with a new exhibition at The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven.
Run in collaboration with AWAZ Cumbria, ‘Celebrating Diversity, Challenging Prejudice’ features poems, stories and posters from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Kells and Hensingham Primary School.
The exhibition presents a fresh outlook from future generations on issues around race, religion, sexuality and culture.
Alan Irwin, the Beacon Museum’s business development manager, said: “This is a vivid and engaging way of positively asking questions about our society and the values which it is built upon. The responses these children have given us display such a strong message of friendship and acceptance and we hope this will continue in their lives to come.”
There is also some interesting information about race in historical Copeland, like the story of Leonard Jackson, a black American migrant who in 1803 married Bella Johnston, a white Cumbrian woman. This was the only locally-registered interracial marriage in the years from 1686 to the middle of the 1800s.
Alan added: “The barriers and stigma that would have been present during the time would have made this a startling event for the local community.”
The Celebrating Diversity, Challenging Prejudice exhibition continues until November 5 and is free for Copeland Pass holders. For more information contact 01946 592302 or visit the Beacon website at www.thebeacon-whitehaven.co.uk.
