Ipswich: Girl, nine, sets up black history book club

A'niah Soanes hopes the book club will raise awareness of the issue of racism at her school

A nine-year-old has started a black history book club after being told she could not be Hermione in a Harry Potter game because of her skin colour.

A'niah Soanes aims to share books on prominent figures with her school mates at St Margaret's Primary, Ipswich.

The pupil, who is dual heritage, set it up with her friends Isla and Jasmine, as first reported in the Ipswich Star.

Deputy head teacher, Sharon Cashen, said: "This is something we really wanted to support."

A'niah said: "I was told I wasn't allowed to be a certain character in a [playground] game because of the colour of my skin.

"It made me cry and I really didn't like it."

A'niah Soanes set up the club with the help of her friends Jasmine (centre) and Isla (right)

The staff offered the use of the library for the weekly club and access to books on people such as athlete Jesse Owens, civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr and US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Ms Cashen said the idea come solely from the pupils and the "desire to share black history with their peers across the school".

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A'niah said one of the aims of the club was to help any other children who experience racism.

"If it does happen, they'll know what to do and what to say and they can just ignore [it] because they'll know how great their heritage is," she said.

The club will feature books about and by prominent black figures

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