Black history month: Urswick School pupil sees winning flag design hoisted above Hackney Town Hall

A 13-year-old who won a competition to come up with a flag for Black history month has seen her winning design hoisted above the Town Hall.

Malaika Parillon Langlais Baron with the black history month flag she designed. Picture: Hackney Council - Credit: Hackney Council

Malaika Parillon Langlais Baron, a year 9 pupil from The Urswick School in Paragon Road, beat 75 other children in a competition run by Hackney Council a year ago.

Malaika said: “I feel a sense of pride seeing my flag design fly over the town hall.

“I hope it will draw attention to Black history and inspire others.”

Speaker of Hackney Cllr Clare Potter, who helped raise the flag, added: “This flag represents Hackney and the contribution that African and Caribbean communities have made both locally and across the globe.

Speaker Clare Potter (right) helps hoist Malaika Parillon Langlais Baron's winning black history month flag above Hackney Town Hall. Picture: Hackney Council - Credit: Hackney Council

“Malaika’s highly creative design embodies a sense of pride and is an important symbol for the borough and for our Black history celebrations.”

Events run by the council for Black history month are free and will take place at Hackney Museum, Hackney Archives, youth hubs and at libraries until January.