Yvonne: This is 6 Minute English, I'm Yvonne and today, I'm joined byRob. Hello, Rob!
Rob: Hello, Yvonne.
Yvonne: In the UK, we celebrate Black History Month each year. It's a time whenpeople from all cultures and backgrounds get a chance to learn about, share inand celebrate the contributions that black people have made to UK and worldhistory. Well before we find out more about this annual or yearly event, I've aquestion for you, Rob. How long has Black History Month been celebratedhere in the UK? Is it: 23 years50 years or52 yearsRob: Ummm – that's a tricky one. I think I'll say 23 years.
Yvonne: Hmmm - we'll find out whether you're right or wrong later on!
Rob: Okay.
Yvonne: Now every year, there's a rather heated debate about whether we should orshouldn't spend an entire month on black history - something that's a part ofBritish history. Mia Morris is the owner of the UK's Black History Monthwebsite and she shared her opinion on this:
Extract 1: Mia MorrisIdeally, we wouldn't need it; ideally, it would be all year round. But then say to people:
use the opportunity to explore more of your family and spend more time with yourfamily, finding out more about our very rich history.
Yvonne: Mia would prefer black history to be made available to everyone in Britainthroughout the year. As she put it, ideally, black history would last 'all yearround' - but as it doesn't…Rob: …Mia thinks we should all see October as an opportunity, or a chance, tospend more time with family, exploring, or finding out, more about our veryrich history, one that we all share, as it's British.
Yvonne: Unfortunately, some Black History Month events and schools still choose tofocus on negative events from history, for example, slavery. But now, there's awider variety of events available, including living history. Rob, can you tell uswhat 'living history' is please?
Rob: Yes, of course. It's a more interactive way of learning about a specific event orperiod of time in history than say, for example, simply looking at items in amuseum. That's a bit boring sometimes.
Yvonne: It is, isn't it? Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held as a prisoner, isnow a living museum, isn't it, Rob?
Rob: That's right. I've actually been there and it really is an amazing place. So wecan find out what everyday life was like for Nelson Mandela by going on aguided tour of Robben Island that's led by an ex-political prisoner, who wasalso held there.
Yvonne: Of course, living history is happening all around us, wherever we are. Andrecently, at a Black History Month event, I spent the morning speaking with awonderful lady, who's a great example of living history. Irene Sinclair wasborn in 1908 in Guyana, South America, which was then called British Guyana.
And she came to live in London in 1957.
Rob: My goodness. So Irene is 102 years old! Wow, you must have had so manyquestions to ask her, Yvonne.
Yvonne: Too many, Rob, way too many, including questions about her working life. Iasked Aunty Rene how much she was paid in Guyana in 1957 where sheworked as an English and History teacher, before she came to London.
Extract 2: Irene SinclairIt must have been about ?10 a year. Yes, because when I came over here, I was workingfor 4.99. I was 49 when I came over, nearly 50. 4.99 a week, ?4.99 in 1958!
Rob: Irene would have been paid in pounds, shillings and pence, so she was tellingus what her pay would be worth today, ?4.99. Now that doesn't sound like verymuch money, but compared to the ?10 a year she got as a teacher, it was.
Yvonne: ?10 a year! She was an assistant cook at a school until age 62 and she becamea famous model at the age of 96!
Rob: Amazing!
Yvonne: You can look her up on the internet.
Rob: Okay.
Yvonne: And of course, she's got a great love of children which lead her to another job.
Extract 3: Irene SinclairSix years ago, I looked after a baby six days old for about three weeks, because thewoman, she wasn't quite well after having the baby. And the doctor said she must havesomeone in at nights so she could sleep. “Aunty Rene, would you?” Of course, they gaveme some money, but I wouldn’t take it as they would have had to pay someone ?50 anight – you know, a proper nurse.
Yvonne: So, at 96 years old, she was not only a model, but she also looked after a newbornbaby for friends at night for six weeks. And she didn't even take themoney they wanted to pay her.
Rob: Wow, Rene Sinclair really does sound like a wonderful piece of living blackhistory for the UK.
Yvonne: She does and Aunty Rene proves that Black History Month can be an amazingexperience simply based on the people you meet. Now earlier Rob, I asked youhow long ago did Black History Month in the UK start?
Rob: And I said 23 years. Was I right?
Yvonne: You were – ding-ding!!
Rob: Great!
Yvonne: Fantastic! But that's all for today's "6 Minute English".
Both: Goodbye! |