Members of Dudley Youth Council have combined to pen a powerful poem to mark Black History Month.

The poem, which references iconic figures including Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Malcolm X, is available on the council’s Twitter channel after members each performed a small part of it.

Dudley Youth Council is a group of local young people aged between 11 and 19 - and up to 25 for those with a disability - who represent young people’s views and work towards improving things for young people in the borough.Councillor Ruth Buttery, cabinet member for children and young people, said:

“This is a wonderful poem which shines a light on recent events, and carries a strong message calling for all of us to stand together in unity.

“Young people all too often get represented negatively nowadays, yet here is a real example of a group wise beyond their years pushing for positive changes to our society”.

You can listen to the poem at twitter.com/dycdudley.