A PUPIL at Two Mile Hill Primary in Kingswood was the youngest winner of an art competition aimed at celebrating Bristol’s civil rights heroes.
Martha Clarke, who is in Year 5, can now see her design on display on bus shelters across the area.
She said she was thrilled to be one of four winners of the Designs4Change contest, run by Julz Davies with bus shelter company Clear Channel.
“I, my family, and my school friends are so chuffed,” said Martha. “ I still can’t believe my artwork won and is featured on bus stops across the city. My idea celebrates the impact made by the pioneers because of their amazing actions.”
The competition was to highlight the work of Paul Stephenson, who led the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963, and other campaigners.
Martha and her classmates learned about the people who came to the UK on the Empire Windrush and their battles against discrimination.
She and fellow winners, Gwen Balmer, Amara Lawrence and Marcia Brown, saw their designs – which are also on the big screen at We the Curious in Millennium Square – unveiled in the autumn.
The celebrations took place just weeks before Dr Stephenson died in early November at the age of 87.
His death was announced by his daughter Fumi and son Paul Junior. “It is with a heavy heart that Stephenson family share the passing of our beloved father, Dr Paul Stephenson, a true pioneer in the civil rights movement. He left this world on the evening of 2 November 2024, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, which he faced with the same unwavering determination that defined his life. We have been immensely fortunate to witness first-hand the profound impact Dr Paul Stephenson had on our community and our nation.”