Celebrating our Black History: Desmond Tutu & Nelson Mandela in Balsall Heath
On Friday, April 22, 1988, the community of Balsall Heath welcomed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He came to officially open the newly built Nelson Mandela School, which had first opened its doors to pupils a few months earlier on September 7, 1987.
During his visit, Archbishop Tutu left an unforgettable impression on everyone in attendance and following the official opening ceremony, he took a stroll through a brand new Spark Green Park next to the school, taking the time to warmly greet local residents who had gathered to welcome him. It remains a proud moment in local history, celebrating our diverse communities in Balsall Heath as well as showing our support for the African National Congress (ANC) and Nelson Mandela in South Aftrica, still in prison for their opposition to Apartheid.
Our stand against Apartheid
Apartheid was a racially segregated political and social system enforced by the white-minority National Party government in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s. Citizens were legally classified by race, stripped of fundamental rights, and forcibly separated in public spaces, schools, and workplaces. Millions of Black South Africans were displaced into impoverished, segregated townships and denied political representation. We opposed apartheid because it was an intensely cruel, dehumanizing system that institutionalized racial oppression, violated basic human rights, and created extreme economic and social inequality. Naming our new school after Nelson Mandela was a declaration of anti-apartheid solidarity, directly challenging racial oppression, honouring a global symbol of resistance, justice, and human rights.
“The School was being opened, officially opened…we show photos to the grandchildren and say, ‘Oh, that’s your Dad and that’s Desmond Tutu’, and they’re kind of going ‘What?”
No surprise then, that only on his second visit to the UK following 27 years of imprisonment, that Nelson Mandela himself visited. Headteacher Frieda Billingham described the occasion as “a great honour and tribute to the school” .
Though decades have passed since Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela came to Balsall Heath, the spirit of solidarity and resistance to racism resonates deeply in Balsall Heath today. Nelson Mandela School stands as an enduring testament to equality and celebration of our diverse community.