Among many other celebrations and awareness causes to bring attention to this month, it is also Black History Month in the UK.
I am used to performing poetry a lot throughout this season but this year I am observing and learning more as a spectator as opposed to a performer and I am glad to. I have been to some very interesting events as I have done so all throughout the year since I am not one to only learn or celebrate for just one delegated period of time. These events include; Noir Black Business Expo, Poetry Meets Art, Black Women in History Archives, Hidden Jamaica exhibition and a modern day Black British photography exhibition at the V&A. Only 2 of these events were during the celebration month and only 1 out of the 2 gave me an insight into the history as opposed to just being enlightened of today's problems within society that affects Black people for the worse (of which there are many).
However, there are many positive life changing things that have happened over centuries due to the actions of influential Black people around the world. Furthermore, I agree with some of you that say that there is not enough Black History being taught in schools or in society in general as if we don't or did not exist (such as an old school Teacher of mine insinuated when I was 11). Every time BHM comes around I often hear people say that there are not enough events or promotion of these events to inform others of the knowledge that they are missing, at least over the course of the month itself. I hear you. Agreed.
I am completely flawed at the increase of people who I encounter that are completely unaware of their history (as a race or someone from a country with undeniable Black contributions). I do not expect non-Black people to know plenty about Black history but I do expect them to know or at least not deny certain basic things, moments in time or key figures among us who have contributed to society who are/were in fact Black. Furthermore, anyone of any culture should be made fully aware of their own culture and should not have to rely on others to do so.
I started my poem
That's Black History last year and left it unfinished at the time but after hearing the amount of people that do not know history or do not recognise certain Black pioneers (old and new) I had to get back on it. DO YOUR RESEARCH DAMMIT!
Look up; Black Wall Street, Million Man March (20th anniversary this month), The Great March on Washington during the 60's Civil Rights Movement, The Black Panther Movement, Windrush (UK), the rich ancient history of Mali, Egypt aka Kemet, Congo, Niger and 'The Gold Coast.' The Aborigines and the genocide in Australia, the revolution in Haiti (the real story of Napoleon's triumph and fall) & South Africa (before, during and after apartheid), the history of the Maroons between Jamaica and Canada, the freed slaves from Europe that went back to Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia. The empire of the Moors, the Black existence in Latin America, Caribbean women in the WWII (there's a book with the same title), Caribbean men in the RAF during WWII, the Tuskegee Airmen, Black owned colleges in America (HBCUs) and Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
Look into the current civil rights fight of Ethiopian Jews in Jerusalem, hate crimes against Africans in Greece, Haitians being fought out of Dominican Republic despite the fact that most of the population on the island are that of African descent themselves within their mixed heritage. Afro-Cubans are still fighting for equality and social acceptance in Cuba today. Let's not forget the 'Bring Back Our Girls' incident that had nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped, some of which still have not returned. The 'Black Lives Matter,' 'We Can't Breathe' and 'No Justice, No Peace' protests that began in America and spread worldwide following the multiple, frequent, unjust deaths of unarmed Black civilians. Most of these deaths were at the hands of White policemen that went either uncharged or unconvicted, unsurprisingly riots followed. The 2007 'Jena Six' protest against the unequal penalties and sentencing of Black youths of a particular noose incident at the time. The harsh reality of the recurring oppression evidently still exists today and these events are history in the making.
Look up people like Mary Seacole, Marcus Garvey, Ignatius Sancho, Dr. D.L Williams, Madam CJ Walker, Frederick Douglas, Shirley Chisholm, Harriet Tubman, Mary Bethune, Stella Thompson, Una Marson, Toussaint L'Overture, Queen Nzingha, Olaudah Equiano, Queen of the Maroons, Queen Sophia Charlotte, William Brown (disguised woman in the British Navy), Francis Baber, Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, Hattie McDaniel, Langston Hughes and Claudia Jones.
In more recent times we should acknowledge the struggles, triumphs and achievements of; Angela Davis, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Muhammad Ali, Sidney Poitier, Ava DuVernay, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Portia Simpson, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Bob Johnson, Winnie as well as Nelson Mandela, Isabel dos Santos, Folorunsho Alakija, Viola Davis, Misty Copeland, Shonda Rhimes, Elizabeth Welch, Diane Abbott, Baroness Lawrence OBE, John H. Johnson, Stella Thompson, Aliko Dangote, Russell Simmons, Diddy (Puff Daddy), Barry Gordy, Dr. Henry Lowe (found and patented a cure for Prostate Cancer), Tony Hansberry II (14 year old who invented a keyhole surgery technique), Usain Bolt, Venus and Serena Williams, and the list just goes on. There are so many others who are worthy of praise other than the greatness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks or Barack Obama.
I should not even have to say this but sadly I do; just to thoroughly correct my old History Teacher who shall remain unnamed for now, Black people were not the second or last race to be born (obviously). To correct the ignorance of many other people in general, Black people were not born out of slavery as there is and was a long history of Black/African culture beforehand (obviously). Furthermore, slavery did not only take place in America. The African Slave Trade was a long running, profitable, barbaric business that took place worldwide between continents and yes that includes England (I'm talking to my British folk that are oblivious to this). Black people are not the poorest ethnic group of people in the world, with the poorest countries and people who only come from ghettos. There are many middle-class, affluent, rich and famous (obviously) Black people- billionaires even and that includes Africans in their native land believe it or not, some of those powerful people are mentioned above.
African countries always have been extremely rich in resources (gold, copper, diamonds, oil, cement, rubber and other conflict minerals) hence the colonisation of the continent that Europeans have fought over for centuries.
I read someone saying
in an article somewhere "New colonialism is masked as economic
investment" and they are quite right regardless of the territory. As I emphasise in another poem of mine to be featured in my next book, colonisers in Africa today are excused as foreign investors. Right now history in the making is that of
the Chinese and others who are marking their territory in numerous African countries thus the fight for its minerals remains.
Metal in particular is causing the biggest conflict; copper, tin and gold but even more so it's the tantalum and tungsten (the ones used for mobile phones and laptops - go research) that do not bring money back to the economies of the native countries which in turn makes it continue to appear poverty stricken. The debate goes on and other continents thrive off of exploiting Africa's minerals while the people suffer. I have put it mildly here but it goes so much deeper than that as you will soon see for yourself if and when you do your research.
The West Indies is also rich in resources that do not bring financial security to the mass population of the natives, such as sugar (sugarcane), oil (Trinidad predominantly), cocoa and exotic fruits that European and American countries typically continue to profit of. Do your research.
Black culture is all around us whether it is being spread, appreciated, mimicked, mocked, exploited, stolen or slowing being disintegrated before our eyes, especially if we are to refer to the Western world. If you are someone who is not Black but wants to appropriate, depict, criticize or portray Black culture in any way (I see a lot of this particularly in the media and it is always done within bad taste) make sure you get all the facts right.
Lastly, Black History is all our history as we live in the same world, subsequently it would benefit all of us to learn more about historical events and influential people of all cultures in order to not render ourselves ignorant.
I am always learning and cross checking so if there is any information you have to enlighten me with past or present I would love to know. Don't be afraid to teach yourself and teach others.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
