Adam Perry, B3Living's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, writes about Black History Month
The month of October is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and amplify the significant contributions that black people have made to our society and culture, learn more about black history and reflect on the lessons learned and changes which can be made.
Despite the UK being largely multicultural, inequalities, bias/stereotypes, and inaccuracies and/or erasure of black history and positive contributions still exist. The recent right-wing violence is an upsetting but clear reminder that tensions still exist in our society.
Our media is selective in what it reports, the level of attention it gets, and the conclusions drawn when it comes to the black community.
Our school curriculum does not reflect the diversity of our society in the resources and literature studied, nor does it cover much in the way of historical events which involved the black community.
A key phrase that serves as a summary is: ‘you can’t be, what you can’t see’.
Until we have better representation, Black History Month will continue to be important.
What can you do?
Listen, learn and reflect! It is important that we all continue to develop our knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you have very little knowledge, or vast amounts of knowledge, there is always something new to learn.
I have put together some suggestions below on resources to read/watch to learn more. Happy reading/watching!
The Black History Month website lists 10 must read books by Black British Authors encompassing a range of styles such as novels, memoirs and non-fictions. Any of the books would be a good shout!
They include authors such as Bernadine Evaristo, the first black winner of the Booker Prize.
Mary Seacole: Jamaican Born, she travelled to England to volunteer her services to Florence Nightingale - who was setting up a hospital during the Crimean War - but encountered prejudice.
Dame Elizabeth Anionwu: Beginning her career as a Nurse, she travelled to the US to study more about Sickle Cell Anaemia.
She co-created a pioneering centre in Brent focused on Sickle Cell and has changed the face of healthcare for people with this condition. She is an inspirational example of overcoming adversity.
You can watch a video about both of these figures by following this link!
Baroness Doreen Lawrence: We have likely all heard of the brutal, racist and unprovoked murder of her son- Stephen Lawrence, in Eltham London and the subsequent failures from the police in investigating the murder.
However, Doreen has campaigned tireless for justice, and for reform of the police and its treatment of the black community. She has navigated systems which are notoriously hard to hold to account and made significant changes for the community.
You can read a summary about Doreen Lawrence and her achievements by following this link
The New Cross House Fire: In the early hours of 18 January 1981, in a house in south London, a birthday party ended in a fire. Thirteen young black British people died.
The fire and its aftermath would ignite an uprising by the black British community about racism, the rise of the far right (National Front) and police attitudes to the Black Community.
You can watch a 3-part BBC documentary called ‘Uprising’ by following this link