October marks the start of Black History Month. The month will be marked by a commemoration and celebration of Black history and culture.
Black History Month is an annual observance that originated in the United States in 1970. However, as a result of local community activism it was also brought to the UK for the first time in October 1987, which happened to also be the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation. Black History Month, which takes place between 1st and 31st October every year, provides a chance to celebrate the heritage and culture of Black people. It is all about recognising, celebrating, and learning about the contributions of Black people to British society.
In the UK, Black history centres on the experiences and contributions of people from African and Caribbean backgrounds to the country’s history. The category of “Black” can mean different things in different contexts, but in the context of the UK it specifically refers to the aforementioned groups, rather than Arabic or Asian identities.
From its formation, the British Empire was intimately involved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Wealth brought to Britain, fueled by the cruel exploitation of people enslaved in Africa and sold to the Americas, formed a massive part of the nation’s modern prosperity. Many people involved in propagating the slave trade brought enslaved African people to Britain for the first time. Black populations in London grew steadily until the abolishment of slavery in 1834. The presence of Black people in Victorian society remained peripheral and stigmatised.
It was the immediate period after the Second World War which saw the arrival of the ‘Windrush’ generation, named after the steam ship which carried the first West Indian migrants from the Caribbean to Britain. They were responding to the British government’s call for people to help rebuild the country after the devastation of the Second World War. Hundreds of thousands of West Indian migrants came to Britain during this period, significantly transforming the demographic make-up of the UK.
Since the end of the Second World War, Black people’s cultural contributions to modern British history have been plentiful and significant. This includes everything from the proliferation of Caribbean food in the UK to the influential grime scene of the 2010s. People with Afro-Caribbean heritage stand at the forefront of UK culture and part of Black History Month is a celebration of that.
Unfortunately the achievements and integral place of Black people in British history is hardly recognised or given the same attention as white British historic figures within society and the national curriculum. Black history is very much a part of wider British history and deserves the same recognition. This month is about celebrating those overlooked events, people, and their subsequent contributions to not only British society, but also their contributions worldwide. In this month it is important to celebrate those less-well known Black Britons and understand their role in shaping modern Britain.
Individuals like Olaudah Equiano, an enslaved man who brought his own freedom and campaigned with the “Sons of Africa” to abolish the slave trade in the eighteenth century; or John Edmonstone, a slave who influenced Charles Darwin; or Lionel Turpin who fought for Britain in the trenches in the First World War. As well as Black British women like Mary Seacole, a nurse who funded herself to help British soldiers during the Crimean War; or activist Claudia Jones who played a major role in founding the Notting Hill Carnival. Black History Month serves as a good opportunity to discuss and understand what needs to be done to make history about the majority rather than the minority.
Although this month is about celebrating notable individuals that have shaped British society, it is also a month of solidarity, fostering an understanding, and speaking out about the inequalities and racism Black people still face in society. Black History Month has taken on a renewed significance in recent years due to incidents like the murder of George Floyd and other cases of police brutality against Black people across the world.
British Online Archives wishes everyone a happy and informative Black History Month!