Everton Football Club’s Andros Townsend joined an array of guest speakers for Everton in the Community’s Premier League Inspires Black History Month event.

The day saw over 100 year nine and 10 pupils from schools across Merseyside come together at Everton in the Community’s The Blue Base to celebrate black heritage and raise awareness of how communities can create a better, and more inclusive society, as part of the International acclaimed month of observance.

Pupils from Savio Salesian College, Calderstones High School, Litherland High, Alsop High, Maricourt High and Everton Free School took part in a number of workshops throughout the day, listening to inspiring stories from various guest speakers including Townsend, who spoke remotely as part of a live question and answer session from USM Finch Farm.

All schools represented on the day work alongside Everton in the Community through the charity’s PL Inspires programme which works in targeted priority schools across Merseyside to raise aspirations, attainment and attendance as well as promoting positive societal messages.

Questions fielded to the Everton winger included ‘What makes Black History Month important?’ and ‘What impact has taking the knee had?’ with Andros speaking openly on the impact of such campaigns, as well as reflecting on what more can be done to provide a more inclusive society:

“I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing” added Townsend. “I wish it was more than a month but it’s important to remember those who paved the way. 30-40 years ago you wouldn’t have seen as many black or Asian players in the Premier League. Viv Anderson, John Barnes, even recently Raheem Sterling has been a trailblazer in combating racism.  

“Taking the knee was never the end goal. It was short-term, we were given the platform to do it. Maybe some people in the UK think the meaning has been lost but you never know who is watching the Premier League for the first time. Perhaps a kid sees us taking a knee and asks his parents why we are doing it and gets educated. It’s a powerful movement; one we should be allowed to do as long as we want.”

Alongside Andros, the day played host to John Williams, Head of Hate Crime Service at the Anthony Walker Foundation and the first Black Detective Chief Inspector in Merseyside Police; Wirral Community Fire Station Manager, Uche Ihiekwe and Producer and Presenter for BBC Radio Merseyside and CEO and Founder of iWoman, Ngunan Adamu.
On the day as a whole, Premier League Inspires Manager Carly Wheeler added: “We were privileged to be in the company of such inspirational speakers, each of whom displayed passion, resilience and integrity in their own right during difficult circumstances.

“We hope the young people attending the event have been inspired to adopt these qualities in their own lives and find out more about Black History. Sometimes, we underestimate the power of a young person’s voice, and events like todays gives them the platform to learn, ask questions and speak up.”