In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement resurgence, there has been a lot of discussion in professional circles about the lived experiences of black people. More than one family friend of mine has been asked about how they feel working for their organisation or asked to share their black experience in general at team-wide training and awareness days and afternoons.
I’d like to bring the conversation of black lived experience to the academic sphere, highlighting in particular the private school experience of black girls. ‘Why?’ you may ask. Well, I’ve been reflecting on my own private school experience. Six years after the fact, with the advantage of hindsight and maturity, I see some things differently. Some things in a more positive light, and others in a more speculative one.
I have asked five other black alumnae: Modupe, Rosemary, Tiwatope, Rachael and Stephanie, to go down private school memory lane with me. But first, let me tell you a little bit about them all. Modupe is a writer and trained solicitor who studied law at Cambridge University, Rosemary is a recent Psychology graduate from a university in Birmingham who is now pursuing a Masters, Tiwatope is a practicing doctor, Rachel is a final year university student studying International Relations and Sociology, and Stephanie is a second year PPE (Politics, Philosophy, Economics) student.