As we celebrate black history month l sometimes wonder how far if any, we have come when it comes to black history month, yes we have some very inspiring black people, like Martin Luther King Jr, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Muhammad Ali, but sometimes l wonder if we really have come that far, This year we were in shock at the brutal killing of George Floyd 46, Rayshard Brooks 27,Daniel Prude 41, Breonna Taylor 26, Atatiana Jefferson 28, Freddie Gray 25, Eric Garner 43, Tamir Rice 12, and the list goes on, so l say again how far have we come, by the hashtagBlackLivesMatter protests around the world that sparked a movement early this year NOT very far, are ancestors fort for are freedom Harriet Tubman help slaves escape by creating the underground railroad, now fast forward to the 21 century we are still fighting for are freedom but in a different way, Black people can not jog, sleep in there own car or ask the police to help without them wanting to shoot you, we have done so much shaped this country and other places around the world when will we get valued, recognition to live free like everyone else, young black men stopped and search 20,000 times in London during the coronavirus lockdown ( the equivalent of 1 in 4 young black man) along with Black MP’s, barristers, senior police offices, sportspeople and many more.
Black people have always made history and always will, but it’s equally important that black people take the lead on how that history is discovered, explored, researched, recorded, archived,curated and shared. That means supporting Black-led heritage organizations and professionals, Black culture isn’t just a commodity to be appropriated and monetized, and Black history isn’t just a month to be ticked off a calendar dominated by a white-washed version of history.
Black History Month is a time for people to come together and hopefully learn lessons. To help us learn these lessons, as always, I’ve attached some links to help you educate yourself and others;
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