A class from Ferry Lane Primary School had a unique lesson in black history, as part of a special Black History Month workshop with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. They joined current Spurs players Kyle Walker-Peters and Becky Spencer and Club Ambassador Ledley King in learning about famous black figures in the history of football and in Haringey.
The event was educational for the players too, who were enthusiastic about the opportunity to take part and learn alongside the children. It was particularly special for right back Kyle Walker-Peters, who grew up in Tottenham’s Broadwater Farm. Kyle said:
“I remember Black History Month in secondary school and learning about people like Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks. It was always important for me, because after that month we didn’t hear much about it. There should be more all year around.”
In what was Hate Crime Awareness Week, Kyle had some thoughts on combatting racism within football. He said:
“It’s mainly about educating fans. Racism between players has died down a lot. Kick It Out and other recent campaigns have helped, but it’s still a big problem with fans – not everyone is willing to change.”
The sentiment was shared by former club captain and England international, Ledley King, who said:
“We have to educate people – it’s important to do it from a young age, not in later years. If we teach people from an early age not to judge people by the colour of their skin, hopefully we’ll be living in a better world.”
