Storytelling and poetry by Omowale Koukpaki and Aurelie Mpiana in collaboration with Priscilla Mandona (People of Colour in Education Scotland).
On Screen: Aurelie Mpiana, Anotida Matindenya, Priscillia Mandona and Omowale Koukpaki.
Music by Omowale Koukpaki and Conor Wells. Mix and master by Andra Black, Video edit Omowale Koukpaki and Mitchell Frost.
It’s Like Looking Up To A Mountain is a multimedia spoken word project that highlights the work People of Colour in Education (POCE) Scotland.
The social action was sparked in 2021 after a child was racially attacked within the school setting. Responding to this incident the parent’s and community experienced the shortfalls of institutional systems in place. They responded by creating POCE, in 2022. It is led by Priscilla Mandona.
Priscilla’s mission is to help empower young people of colour in Scottish Education and enable them to reach their full potential. POCE conducted community-led research by collecting stories from individuals who have experienced racism within school, college and university settings in Scotland. Currently, POCE are involved in engagement within communities in Glasgow through community groups and networking events to spread the word about POCE and to collect stories.
This storytelling piece highlights what assists her or obstructs her on her journey and the impact on her mission.
Poems featured in this storytelling piece
Poem 1
She didn’t want to fight She didn’t want to go to war She just wanted life And for her son to live more But she gotta fight Fight for more Fight for the youths place in the world
She just want peace She just want access Why must She teach Why must she practice Why can she just Be? Instead of stopping people attack us
You not listening It seems okay but you don’t get it Everything that’s glistening Isn’t gold Sometimes you have to be effected To understand the toll Please listen There’s a story to be told
Poem 2
Priscilla Mandona 1997 she touched down A life in Zambia Left for new grounds Hope for More prosperity And a new life with her family First it was London that she knew And they moved their happily Where she learned and grew Still young with barely a clue Qualified in Africa Qualified at home With the world to pursue Priscilla chased her own Proved what she had got her education And worked onwards. In a world that’s unrelenting Filled with frustration That’s a huge achievement Gotta be relentless To keep working and keep breathing Cause in life you gotta burst the ceiling.
Priscilla fell in love had kids Then moved to Glasgow Where life is still fast But a little more slow Diversity is less Which doesn’t seem to matter much Unless it’s Where the kids grow Cause kids are curios And kids are mean Kids can’t understand How much it hurts When they inflict words Or pick their hand up To someone who doesn’t deserve Cause we’re all the same underneath
But as adults we gotta see That if someone is defending themselves They cannot be held accountable Or at least not persecuted equally But that happened to priscilla’s boy So she made POCE
Poem 3 – What Hinders?
Ever changing horizon but education has barely moved forward. 37 years of goal post moving. The same degrees. The same universities. With more diversity. But no more opportunities. So what good it it And why is the way it is? Who actually knows? But that just makes it harder for priscilla. Cause an invisible opposition Is much harder to oppose Who makes decisions Decides what rules to impose?
And when it’s just you And your all alone What do you suppose you should do? Cause priscilla will always fight for good
What do you suppose you do?
1. Working all alone.
It’s like looking up to a mountain. A task so big you wonder if it could ever be completed. Changing a simple system is one thing bur battling a heard of elitist to ensure that those who need help receive it. Without the support of others is more than just a wee thing. It consumes your life and takes your old friends. Cause being the one on who others depend Can often by a lonely road with little dividends To stop this hindrance priscilla needs more than a lend or friends She needs a system to help her defend he mission her mission her action
Poem 4 – What she does and what hinders her in the process? Also how she combats these hindrances.
Priscilla Mandona, a trailblazer of our time, In the fight against racism, always ready to shine. The organisation she spearheads, a force to reckon, People of Colour in Education, fighting to lessen The burden of racism carried by every young soul In the schools of Glasgow, a place they call home. A place that’s supposed to be a blessing.
She stands tall, with courage and grace A symbol of hope, in this perilous race To end discrimination, bias and hate To create a just society, a land of equality so great.
What happened In the classrooms, she listens with care Embracing diversity, ensuring fairness is always there And that although people may stare Cause they do not think in this place we belong We pays our fare and keeps moving along Cause priscilla is there to ensure that we can grow strong She there For children of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds showing us we aren’t wrong, and that our memories of new environments can actually be fond.
Poem 5 – She helps by.
She helps by Providing a space, where they can thrive and be proud. A much better place than allowing ourselves to be kicked when we’re down. We can finally make a stand. We can finally make sound. Cause there is someone who listens Understands. And to our young people she is devout.
Her tireless work, is seen in the hearts and minds Of young people, who are empowered to shine To break free of discrimination, and rise above To become the people, they truly dream of. Priscilla Mandona, a hero to all A true embodiment
Poem 6 – what helps her
There is help for everyone Just need to find the things we all need And we can live Your not alone in this place There is unity somewhere in the human race
Although it might seem lonely priscilla marches on Cause there is light at the end if the tunnel There is hope in her song She is helped by her family Her loved ones and her kin She helps people by listening But is helped that their gave their story in To further the point That it doesn’t matter what skin What creed or religion what matter is within But you can’t see that till you start digging So she dig ins
Thank you Priscilla for making a difference
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Social Media Posts
Here are some suggested posts to promote this story.
Instructions: Copy and paste the wording below and download the images attached below to add to the chosen social media post.
Post 1
Engage with this multimedia spoken work project, It’s Like Looking up to a Mountain, which showcases what #HelpsAndHinders social action for the community fighting against racism within the education system @people_of_colour_in_education
Storytelling and poetry by Omowale Koukpaki and Aurelie Mpiana. In partnership with Social Action Inquiry Scotland @social_action_scotland
Isolation from working on your own hinders the social action of @people_of_colour_in_education
Find out more about what #HelpsAndHinders social action for the community fighting against racism within the education system in this multimedia spoken word project, It’s Like Looking up to a Mountain.
Storytelling and poetry by Omowale Koukpaki and Aurelie Mpiana. In partnership with Social Action Inquiry Scotland @social_action_scotland
Inspiration from personal stories helps the social action of @people_of_colour_in_education
Find out more about what #HelpsAndHinders social action for the community fighting against racism within the education system in this multimedia spoken word project, It’s Like Looking up to a Mountain.
Storytelling and poetry by Omowale Koukpaki and Aurelie Mpiana. In partnership with Social Action Inquiry Scotland @social_action_scotland
Here are some suggested posts to promote this story.
Instructions: Copy and paste the wording below and download the images attached below to add to the chosen social media post.
Post 1
It’s Like Looking up to a Mountain, showcases what #HelpsAndHinders social action for People of Colour in Education – who are flighting racism in education.
Storytelling and poetry by Omowale Koukpaki and Aurelie Mpiana. In partnership with @Soc_Act_Scot
Add the following to the post, or Alt Text, [image description: A head shot of Priscilla, in a street lined by flats. Below it reads ” what helps and hinders social action? socialaction.scot/stories”. Social Action Inquiry Scotland’s logo is in the bottom right corner, it is a sound wave that turns into a fist moving upwards.]