Students Attend Professor David Olusoga OBE Lecture

Posted at 12:04 pm on 14th November, 2024

Black History Month Celebration at UoM

On 4th November, GCSE History students were invited to the University of Manchester for an opportunity to see Professor David Olusoga OBE deliver a Black History Month lecture. 

Professor Olusoga is an award-winning British historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and filmmaker. He is a Professor of Public History at The University of Manchester, specialising in the British Empire and how different communities experience its lasting effects in modern society. 

In celebration of Black History Month in October, Wellacre students listened to Professor Olusoga speak about the forgotten black soldiers of WW2, as well as significant individuals who have purposefully been written out of British history.  After the lecture, students were invited to ask Professor Olusoga questions,

Miss Morley, Teacher of History, said:

“Students listened intently as Professor Olusoga spoke; they were particularly interested in the stories he incorporated into the lecture. I am really proud of the mature and well-thought out questions that the boys asked.” 

Students study WW2 at the end of Year 11 as part of the Life in Nazi Germany unit, so this was a fantastic opportunity to hear different perspectives of soldiers fighting in the conflict, and for them to see that the war was more diverse than it is portrayed in the media. Professor Olusoga also talked about the Empire, which students study in the Crime and Punishment and Making of America units. 

Year 10 Zack, said:

“I was impressed by Olusoga's knowledge; he spoke in detail about the forgotten soldiers of WW2 and the impact that they had on the war. He also spoke about how History is linked to the present day which was really interesting.” 

Fellow Year 10, Will, added:

“I liked the detail that he went into and how he explained everything he's learnt throughout his career. It was interesting to hear how he got into History and why he believes History is important. It was also eye-opening to hear about how some people have been erased from British History.”