Next month in the UK is Black History Month. A large proportion of the Afro Caribbean population will be attending events, reading literature, listening to music as a means of connecting with their past and their history. Like our cousins in the US do in February, issues such as slavery, achievements in science, sports and culture will take top billing and all views across the spectrum from nationalist to liberal from AfroCentric to AfroSaxon will be putting forward a view on the state of black history and how it shaped our past and will shape our future.
I am personally very passionate about knowing where I have come from. My own education was one of reading about black nationalism in africa, caribbean, north and south america. I read of the Moors, the Civil Rights movement, the Maroons in the Caribbean, the Notting Hill riots and of Maafa, otherwise known as the transatlantic slave passage.In the last few years I have delved more into the less covered issues such as African Jews, Afro Canadians, African communities in Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and of cultures such as the Aborigines and the Dravidians and Dalits in India. Such is the complexity of the diaspora that for every stone turned on my history there still seems to be much more to be discovered. My recent trip to the continent started off a whole other quest on the lingual, dialectical and tribal diversity in Africa (and not just subSaharan). A couple of things bother me though.
1. The colouring of history.
Often in attempt to redress the lack of clear history on black culture, it can be glorified more than it is. In a recent viewing of the film Barbershop a challenging riposte by Eddie played by Cedric the entertainer (pictured above with afro) took to task the almost unsullied images of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. There is no shame in admitting that many others sat on the bus before Rosa, but hey for PR she was great. MLK’s fidelity (or lack of it) is no big secret, but then neither does it take away from the fact that they were both pivotal in gaining massive strides for black liberation in the US. Heck Ghandi was foul tempered, Napoleon had way too many issues, and most of the US presidents governed openly racist countries but they are still held up as heroes.
2. Is a month enough?
Whilst I love the oppotunities to speak is a month really enough to delve in history. Schools, colleges and community groups get all excited for one month, some delivering only the limited amount they know and then what? Last year I asked a group of Afro Caribbean students if they knew what Caribs and Arawaks were. Some thought it was a food type. How could you not know that Caribs is where the term Caribbeans come from? Mind you many African Americans I asked didn’t know either. Go figure.
3. Does the wider culture care?
So October is BHM. Outside of our community, apart from the trendies or those into “world issues” who really gives a hoot? I would love to share with others the richness of my heritage through Grenada and Barbados back through to the west coast of Africa, but if someone cannot relate then why bother. To be honest what do I really know about Chinese or Bangladeshi or Polish history?
This does not stop me from taking part in activities in this month because well if they don’t get recognised in that one month when will they be recognised. I think it is important for the wider community to know about the African and Caribbean (as well as African American) contribution to the great wars. I think it is important for the wider community to know of the history outside of slavery. To be aware of afro music that in many respects goes to the heart of modern popular music in all its forms. To be aware of the natural medicine, astronomy, architecture that existed before and after slavery and colonialism on the continent and was exported to ancient cultures such as the mayans and is still celebrated in cultures such as aborigines.
I will be honest and state that one selfish reason that I will be applauding this month and getting involved in celebrating black history month is to empower a number of young black men who have lost all sense of identity and community. To remind them of where they have come from and the legacy that has been entrusted to them, and not just for themselves but for their children, and their children’s children. For that alone, black history month is worth it for me.
Filed under: Uncategorized , Culture
