Representation and the Girl in the Mirror

13th October 2023

As a child, whenever I watched TV, I never saw somebody who looked like me. It was hard to dress up as my favourite character from a movie. Tiana was great but I loved Belle’s dress the most. It was only when I started watching Disney Channel that I got to see Zendaya in Shake It Up and I could think that maybe I looked a bit like her. So many kids grow up not being able to see themselves in their favourite characters from the shows they watch every day. I couldn’t picture what it would be like to look at those characters and see what I saw in the mirror, especially growing up as a mixed child, I never got to see characters that looked even remotely like me.

Representation and the Girl in the Mirror

The Creole Origins of the Chemise de la Reine

13th October 2023

If you’ve spent enough time around me, you will have heard about the infamous 18th century dress, the so called ‘Chemise de la Reine’. To explain, a ‘chemise’ was a women’s undergarment, worn directly against the skin under a set of stays or as a nightgown, and usually made of fine white material. In 1783, Marie Antoinette (the ‘reine’ at that time) was painted wearing a dress which loosely resembled a ‘chemise’, displayed at the Salon de Paris in the Louvre. The gown sparked outrage due to its perceived informality and nonconformity with the highly structured aesthetic of traditional court gowns. It was unlike anything worn by French aristocracy before. But although named after the queen, the ‘Chemise de la Reine’ was not invented by Marie Antoinette. So, where did it come from?

The Creole Origins of the Chemise de la Reine

Why is Black History Only Celebrated in One Month?

13th October 2023

October marks the start of Black History Month. It is a celebration of the contributions that Black people have made to world history and raises awareness of their incredible achievements. However, the national school curriculum does little to highlight Black history beyond slavery, which is disempowering not only to Black communities, but also white children who are not educated about the broader picture of ethnic minority backgrounds. Therefore, it feels vital to acknowledge and support this important celebration. This is done through having a whole month dedicated to learning about Black History.

Why is Black History Only Celebrated in One Month?

This is Not America: A Review

13th October 2023

Last week, as part of the Sixth Form’s celebration of Black History Month, I had the pleasure of being able to interview Timowa Owolade about his debut book, ‘This is Not America’ – a study of race relations in Britain and the USA. More specifically, he examines the differences of the two nations, considering whether framing British discussion about relations through an American lens can be useful: his conclusion – they can’t.

This is Not America: A Review