Teacher’s notes
Marcus Garvey

Links to the National Curriculum for Key Stage 3 History

Students will gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between national and international history; between cultural, economic, and political history.

This lesson would easily fit into schemes of learning on the following topics:

● Political power, industry and empire.

● The modern History of Britain and the contribution that citizens of the British Empire made to its cultural and economic development

● Britain’s Transatlantic Slave Trade: its effects and legacy

● The lesson is also relevant to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural SMSC development

This lesson follows the enquiry question:
How far did Carmen Beckford help change the face of Britain?

The structure outlines the historical context the Windrush generation was born into, before exploring the circumstances that brought them to settle in the UK. The lesson presents a range of sources which illuminate the experiences of the Windrush generation and provides contextual information for further reading. Students have a chance to listen to the poetry of Lawrence Hoo and apply their historical reasoning to answer the task questions.

Poem

Our Festival Queen

I would like to pay tribute in honour of Carmen Beckford, a truly inspirational Jamaican woman Whose faith and self-belief were instrumental in developing race relations in Great Britain

Carmen Beckford was born in St Thomas Jamaica on December 21st 1928 Did people imagine back then; that this new life’s achievements would be so great?

After leaving Jamaica for Great Britain at the age of 17 Carmen Beckford settled in Kent in pursuit of her dream

Carmen Beckford’s dream of a career in nursing became reality Because of her work ethic, dedication and tenacity

In 1965 Carmen Beckford moved to Downend in Bristol to work as a midwife Continuing on a journey of self-development that would be her calling in life

Later that year Carmen Beckford became Bristol’s first race relations officer and an executive member, of the Commonwealth Co-ordinated Committee As a founding elder, Carmen Beckford was committed to improving the lives and opportunities of people regardless of their ethnicity

Amongst these many appointments Carmen Beckford set up and ran the Bristol West Indian Dance Troupe ‘Amazing, beautiful, elegant and strong, she was Superwoman to me’, recalls one of the group

In 1968 St Paul’s Festival was created with Carmen Beckford in charge of entertainment This event still goes on today delivering unparalleled cultural interactions and social development

Carmen Beckford faced many challenges from within and outside her community While working towards breaking down racial barriers for better cultural unity

Carmen Beckford wasn’t one to turn away in the face of adversity Carmen Beckford faced it head on, composed and eloquently

Due to Carmen Beckford standing firm in the face of much racial tension and abuse Carmen Beckford was able to help people, who it was written in the script should always lose

Creating opportunities that would have otherwise been out of reach Which enabled people to live, work, learn, grow and teach

Through perseverance, single-mindedness and self-motivation Carmen Beckford’s achievements were recognised by the nation

In 1982 Carmen Beckford received an MBE, an honour of the greatest order From the ruling system that when established was set up to ignore her

Carmen Beckford was a leader, teacher, scholar and social activist That reminds me of Angela Davis but less militant, more of a pacifist

Fighting against injustice, racial hatred and for people’s civil rights They are modern day heroes, the equivalent of medieval knights

Carmen Beckford shone a light so bright that the darkness had to lift Coupled with her faith in God and self-belief, this was her greatest gift

Lawrence Hoo

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