As part of Black History Month, our students were asked to write poems with 'Sit In and Stand Up: Non-Violent Protests for Civil Rights' in mind. While an anthology of poems will be coming in due course, one poem particularly stood out to us. Henry, Year 8, wrote this incredible piece - we just had to share it.
Born in the Jamaican Slums
Under a bright blue sky
Maverley was a violent place
Where murder rates were high
Dad was taken early
Mum had moved away
Football was the saviour
Playing eight hours a day
A scrap of land a football pitch
A carton for a ball
Hiding from the gunfire
Waiting for the call
A move away to London
To start a better life
School was not so easy
And bullying was rife
But still he played his football
And always tried his best
Never giving up on hope
To be better than the rest
He made it all the way
To play at the top tier
Not just club and country
But player of the year
But the abuse it never stops
Attacked outside the ground
Monkey chants, bananas thrown
Discrimination all around
Slated by the press
And branded as a brat
Cocky, flash and over paid
Why should he have to take that?
How long can this continue
It's time to take a stance
We must all stand together
For a fair and equal chance
I'll leave you with this statement
The truth, it's not a plot
The pitches are full of black men
But the offices are not
Where is the representation
For people who are black
We take one step forward
They push us three steps back
