Dive into Black, African and Caribbean culture
Our new unit meeting activities, created in collaboration with The Black Curriculum, will open your unit up to a world of celebration and cultural exploration
Illustrations by former Girlguiding member, Sally Waite/agencyrush.com
In a world that can be far from fair, we're on a mission to ensure Girlguiding stands out as a beacon where every girl is welcome, has a strong sense of belonging and feels free to be themselves.
We've been making strides in this direction, mapping out our journey and how we’re going to get there in our equity, diversity, and inclusion plan.
Now, we’re thrilled to share with you our new unit meeting activities (UMAs) – created in collaboration with The Black Curriculum.
These activities aren’t just lessons on African and Caribbean culture. They’re invitations to celebrate vibrant cultures, and mark the contributions these communities have made to the UK. And, to some girls, these unit meeting activities will help them feel seen in a way they might not have felt before in guiding.
What are the new unit meeting activities about?
Behind the scenes, Sophie, volunteer and inclusion adviser, was a part of the team that worked on crafting these UMAs. Each section is trying something different – from Rainbows, who’ll enjoy dancing to carnival beats, to Rangers, who’ll engage in heartfelt discussions about representation.
‘For younger sections, we understood that abstract concepts can be difficult to grasp,' Sophie says. 'That’s why we’ve opted for a celebratory craft-based UMA. This way they can produce something physical that they can hold onto and appreciate. As for older sections, we recognised they were more likely to have an awareness of issues surrounding race, and we wanted to give them the space to engage in a meaningful conversation.’
Each UMA has been carefully thought out with the expertise of The Black Curriculum, to ensure an enriching and memorable experience for every girl.
Rainbows: Carnival creations
Our youngest members will be stepping into the vibrant world of Caribbean culture as they discover the magic of Notting Hill Carnival. Rainbows will be designing their own carnival headdresses and bopping to the beats of cultural rhythms. ‘Carnival creations’ spotlights a prominent historical tradition and invites our girls to discover unity through festivity.
Sophie shares, ‘Did you know there’s a family day at Notting Hill Carnival?’ Starting bright and early at 6am, Sunday is family day, which typically has smaller crowds and kid-inspired floats for the parade. ‘If you’re doing these UMAs around August, you could plan a day out at the carnival.’ And of course, don’t forget your headdresses!
Brownies: Windrush champions
Moving on up to Brownies, these girls will be delving into the lives of extraordinary individuals from the Windrush generation. By celebrating figures like Althea McNish, Edna Chavannes, Andrea Levy, and Claudia Jones, Brownies will learn about the contributions and resilience of those who helped shape Britain.
Guides: Make a meal of it
Guides will be celebrating African and Caribbean cuisine, embarking on a culinary journey. By crafting menus featuring dishes like Kachumbari, Gizzada, Paratha roti, Kelewele and more, Guides will explore the various flavours that have shaped cultures and connected communities.
You could take your girls on a little trip down to local shops or markets in your area check out some of the ingredients featured in the recipes. Or you could see these ingredients in action and watch a cooking show to see exactly how some of these meals are made.
Rangers: Mirror or window
Rangers will be investigating diverse representation in the beauty industry. In ‘Mirror or window’, they’ll put big beauty brands to the test, and decide who’s getting it right, and who’s missing the mark.
Our partnership with The Black Curriculum
The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise dedicated to teaching accessible and engaging Black history to young people – partnering with them to create these UMAs was certainly what brought them to life.
Sophie shares, ‘The Black Curriculum does fantastic work: producing fantastic resources and integrating Black history into the school curriculum. They have great insight into what goes on in schools nowadays, which allowed us to make sure our UMAs were unique and introducing new topics to our girls. They also have lots of knowledge in how to design resources that approach complex and sensitive topics in a way that speaks to children of all ages.’
Making these activities work for your unit
Here are some tips on how to run these UMAs successfully.
Collaborate with your girls
Engage your girls in planning, especially those from African and Caribbean communities. ‘If you do have African and/or Caribbean girls in your unit, it’s important to consider them and if they would like to share something from their own cultures that link to the topic,‘ says Sophie. ‘My unit is majority girls of colour, and because of the girls’ backgrounds, they have a heightened awareness around the topics mentioned in the UMAs and tend to have these conversations naturally. So it’s great to offer them a space to do so during the unit meeting.’
A Guide might want to share a cherished cultural family recipe, while a Brownie could offer stories from a Windrush generation relative. Encourage all girls to contribute ideas and make the activities uniquely enriching and exciting.
Make space for open conversations
Encourage girls to share their thoughts, experiences and learnings. Creating a safe environment for open dialogue can lead to meaningful discussions that help everyone grow and learn together.
‘Particularly with older sections, you could give them the card and let them lead the activity – this is also a great opportunity for girls to take charge and boost their leadership skills,’ Sophie suggests. ‘With the Rangers’ Mirror or window UMA, you could print out pictures in advance to prompt the conversation and moderate when needed, to remind them of the aims of the card.’
Support and questions
You might have some questions about these UMAs:
What if I'm unfamiliar with these topics?
When we first starting thinked about these UMAs we put lots of focus into ensuring they were engaging, educational but also accessible. Sophie highlights, ‘The beauty of the UMAs is that everyone and anyone can pick them up and do them. The UMAs contain all the information a leader needs to run the activity, along with complementary notes that provide additional context.’ Whether you’re a girl or a leader, these UMAs should be easy to approach. There’s lots of guidance to help you get started and suggestions if you’d like to take things further.
Whilst the UMAs contain everything you need to run the activity, a girl might pose a question to you that you might feel unsure about answering. ‘It’s okay to say, “I don’t know”,’ Sophie shares. ‘This can lead to an honest and productive conversation where you tell your girls, “I’m not sure, but let’s find out together.” From there, you can explore credible sources to take on the question.’
Why should my unit do these UMAs?
These UMAs are about celebrating diversity and learning about other cultures. We believe every girl benefits from learning about different cultures and perspectives, regardless of their background. You might find yourself having some impactful conversations, but the main thing is that they’re amazing fun for everyone!
More resources
While these UMAs are all about celebrating, we understand that they may bring up tough conversations on race and diversity. The Black Curriculum has lots of resources, including free videos and activities, that can be helpful.
We also have a big list of resources about talking to young people and children about race and racism – a great list to be familiar with to help answer girls’ questions.
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