Betty Campbell

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Memorial to Betty Campbell in Cardiff (2021)

Rachel Elizabeth "Betty" Campbell MBE (born 6 November 1934 as Rachel Elizabeth Johnson in Butetown , Cardiff , Wales ; † 13 October 2017 there) was a British school leader , activist and local politician . She is believed to be the first black school principal in Wales. Since 2021, she has been commemorated with a statue in Cardiff's Central Square .

Life

Campbell was born on November 6, 1934 in the Welsh capital of Cardiff in the borough of Butetown to a Jamaican father and a Welsh - Barbadian mother and grew up in the slums of Tiger Bay near Cardiff Harbour . Her father died in World War II , leaving her mother a single parent. She earned the money for her family as a bookmaker on an informal basis . Already as a child Campbell was interested in literature. In particular, she was fascinated by Enid Blyton's Malory Towers book series . She later won a scholarship to Cardiff's Lady Margaret High School for Girls . There she was one of the best students in her class. When she was still at school, she already wanted to be a teacher. But her teachers told her that, as a working -class black girl, she had little chance of having that dream come true. Shortly before graduating from high school, she dropped out of school after becoming pregnant by her boyfriend, the fitter Rupert Campbell. The two subsequently married in 1953, after which the two became parents of three.

But she still wanted to be a teacher. In 1960, she learned from an article in the South Wales Echo that Cardiff Teacher Training College was accepting women for the first time. However, the institute only gave six places to so-called day students , i.e. people who did not also live in the institute. Campbell, as a family mother, automatically fell into this category. So the chances of success were pretty slim, but Campbell applied anyway and was accepted. She became a mother again while she was still studying education . Despite all social prejudices, after successfully completing her studies, she fulfilled her dream of a career and actually became a teacher. In 1963 she took up her first position. She first worked in the Llanrumney area of ​​Cardiff , later taking a job at Mount Stuart Primary School in her native Butetown.

A few years later, Campbell became the principal of the school. She is now considered the first black school principal in Wales. Under her leadership, the school became a model of equality and multiculturalism . Inspired by the American civil rights movement and Harriet Tubman , she also included the global history of the African diaspora in her school's curriculum. For example, one learning project discussed the “positive contributions of people of color to British history”. For example, another project dealt with slavery , another with apartheid in South Africa . As part of this project in 1990, a class at her school wrote letters to Nelson Mandela , among others . On St. David's Day 1994, Prince Charles visited the school.

She also appeared publicly as an activist for multiculturalism . She was one of the initiators of the British Black History Month . Between 1972 and 1976 she was part of the state race relations board , after which she became part of the UK Home Office 's race advisory committee . She was also a member of the Commission for Racial Equality . It was in this capacity that she met Nelson Mandela in 1998 when he was visiting Cardiff to accept honorary citizenship of the city. She was also a member of the Welsh Broadcasting Council from 1980 to 1984 . In addition, she was also involved in various educational policy committees. She was also part of a committee that prepared the celebrations for the founding of the Welsh Parliament in 1998. Later, Campbell was invited to the Welsh Parliament as a guest speaker. She was also active as councilor for Butetown in Cardiff Council . She volunteered in Butetown after her retirement to lead weekend schools and community projects. She died in Butetown on October 13, 2017 at the age of 82 after months of declining health. She left her husband of 64 years, four children, 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Hundreds of people paid their last respects on the day of her funeral.

appreciation

She was widely respected in her native Butetown. In 2003 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her services to education and community life in Butetown . In the same year, Cardiff Metropolitan University made her an honorary fellow . In 2015 she received a lifetime achievement award from the union Unison Cymru Wales' Black Members Group . Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones posthumously recognized her as a "true pioneer". Welsh Education Minister Jeremy Miles has launched a 2021 Betty Campbell Award as part of the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru , to go to "the individual, team or school who demonstrates a remarkable awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion in school teaching". should. Independent journalist Harriet Marsden wrote in her obituary that Campbell had become "known beyond the borders of Wales as a leading academic and an authority on school education".

After her death, Campbell was among the women featured on Hidden Heroines , a television program broadcast on BBC Wales and initiated by the Monumental Welsh Women initiative. The initiative wanted to identify an "inspiring" woman who should be honored with a public monument. A previous investigation had found not a single statue of a historical real woman on public land in Wales. Campbell ended up receiving the most votes in a public vote. Also running alongside her were writer Elaine Morgan , suffragette Margaret Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda , political activist Elizabeth Andrews , and poet Sarah Jane Rees . These five women were featured on the TV show as shortlists from a larger, peer-reviewed list of historical women.

As a result, sculptor Eve Shepherd created a large bronze statue of Campbell. The unveiling was scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It was not until September 29, 2021 that members of the Campbell family unveiled the memorial, which stands on Central Square in Cardiff city center just north of Butetown in the immediate vicinity of the Millennium Stadium . Speakers at the ceremony included Welsh Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt and historian Olivette Otele ; Prince Charles and actor Michael Sheen sent video messages. The performers included a school choir from Campbell's former school.

web links

Commons : Statue of Betty Campbell in Cardiff  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

itemizations

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Betty Campbell: Statue honors Wales' first black head teacher. BBC News , September 29, 2021, retrieved December 23, 2021 (English).
  2. ↑ a b Black History Month—Betty Campbell. Meic, 2021, accessed December 23, 2021 (English).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Betty Campbell. In: Hidden Heroines. BBC , accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g Ceri Jackson: #towerlives: Betty Campbell's fight for childhood dream. BBC News 15 April 2016, retrieved 23 December 2021 (English).
  5. ↑ Statue of Wales' first black headteacher unveiled. Telegraph Star, 29 September 2021, accessed 24 December 2021 (English).
  6. ↑ a b Leah Mahon: Statue of first black Welsh headteacher unveiled in Cardiff. The Voice, 30 September 2021, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  7. ↑ a b c d e Steven Morris: Wales honors Betty Campbell, country's first black headteacher. The Guardian , 29 September 2021, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  8. ↑ a b Harriert Marsden: Betty Campbell: Wales's first black headteacher took civil rights history into classrooms. The Independent 8 November 2017, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  9. ↑ a b Michelle Campbell-Davies, Reem Ahmed: 'My trailblazer nan Betty Campbell and what her statue means to me and Cardiff'. WalesOnline, 29 October 2021, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  10. ↑ Wales' first black head teacher Betty Campbell dies. BBC News 14 October 2017, retrieved 23 December 2021 (English).
  11. ↑ Abbie Wightwick: Hundreds lined the streets to pay respects to Wales' first black head teacher Betty Campbell. WalesOnline, 26 October 2017, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  12. ↑ a b Claire O'Boyle: Black History Month: Pioneering first black headteacher 'inspired everyone she met'. The Mirror, 1 October 2021, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  13. ↑ Statue honors Wales' first Black head teacher . In: National Education Union (ed.): educate . November / December 2021 issue. Century One Publishing, St Albans 2021, pp.  17 ( new.org.uk ).
  14. ↑ Hidden Heroines. BBC Wales, accessed 23 December 2021 (English).
  15. ↑ Statue of Wales' first black headteacher Betty Campbell. South Wales Argus, September 29, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021 .
personal data
SURNAME Campbell, Betty
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Campbell, Rachel Elizabeth (full name); Johnson, Rachel Elizabeth (birth name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British school leader, activist and local politician
BIRTH DATE November 6, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Butetown , Cardiff , Wales
DATE OF DEATH October 13, 2017
PLACE OF DEATH Butetown , Cardiff , Wales