The children at Ecclesbourne Primary School were very privileged to have Beulah Coombs, activist and author, visit the school to talk about her work.
This visit perfectly tied together the school’s recent learning around Black History: Honouring Communities and Remembrance.
Beulah has lived in Thornton Heath for over 40 years and is a former teacher. During the assembly, Beulah explained how her parents were part of the Windrush generation. She spoke to the children about her early childhood, growing up in rural Jamaica without her parents and then her journey to England, aged 8 years old. Beulah shared with the children how it felt to start school in a new country and how she navigated a new education system.
Beulah also told the children about her uncle Robert who was a Jamaican World War I soldier named Robert Smith. Beulah explained how she uncovered historical records detailing his enlistment in the British West Indies Regiment and his death in 1917 during World War I. The historical biography that she recently wrote uncovers the forgotten military service and sacrifice of her uncle and highlights the broader, often overlooked contributions and heroism of Afro-Caribbean soldiers who fought for Britain. Beulah shared shared photos of her Uncle Robert and detailed his personal history. Beulah finished the session by asking the children to think about their own personal history. She encouraged the children to ask their relatives questions about their own life and reminded the children that history is actively lived, shaped, and built in the present day.
A huge thank you to Beulah for coming to speak to us!
