Black History Month

As I thought about why I feel Black History Month is important, a dear friend of mine, Natalie, a black, British woman living in the UK and who has been through the UK schooling system, wanted to share her opinions on why Black History Month is important in schools:

“In school, my memories of history were learning about the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, both world wars, Russia and even some native American history. Being taught in the UK, it's understandable that the primary focus was on European history. However, being black and British, I never found 'me' in any of this history, and yet here I am. It was as though there were a wave of amnesia wiping out the post war decades, and that the multicultural nature of the UK was spontaneous. The truth is there is a much more complex narrative that has brought us to this stage. A narrative that isn't pretty but worth telling.

As a child I was confused by the history I was taught because I didn't feature in it at all, and the story of how I came to be here was primarily an oral history which somehow felt invalidated because it didn't align with my schooling. By this, I mean school is how children are prepared to live in the world, but that for this preparation to unconsciously gloss over the origins of minorities of this multicultural society institutionally alienates these pupils. This is why we need Black History Month. A month where black children and black people can acknowledge their revolutionary figures and unsung heroes who fought to allow us to have the opportunities we have today. Black History Month isn't about segregation; it’s about identity.

We can also analyse it from the perspective of the lessons history teaches us. When we look back at how humans interacted in the past, we can see how certain actions, positive or negative, had ramifications that still affect us today. The problem is that if there are elements of history that go unrecorded and are muted, then surely we are doomed to repeat past mistakes. Even today, there is much that we should have already learned about the Windrush generation that should be applicable to politics in the UK on the discussion around immigration. The problem is that this knowledge isn't common and it not being common knowledge leaves us all at a disadvantage.

There are negative perceptions about Black History Month and black history as a whole. In truth, it is a horrible history in places that I find myself unable to stomach sometimes, but it's not about picking at old wounds, it's about the future. As humans, we have always been interested in our own genesis, whether it be biological, astronomical or anthropological. With knowledge of our own past, we can step into the future more prepared and more knowledgeable of who we are, better equipped not to repeat mistakes of the past. Black History Month is merely another vehicle used to uncover an origin story.”

If you are looking for inspiration on where to start with resources surrounding Black History Month, an excellent place to start is here, or with younger children – here, with these wonderful videos. In my own experience, each year we would make a book of written biographies about famous black people from history and they would be placed on the shelves outside the headteacher’s office with pride.

Have you taught Black History Month in your school? Why do you think it is important? Have you done some activities that have worked well? Let us know in the comments below.

Ellan Winter is a proofreader and also the lead blogger here at Classroom Secrets. Ellan met Natalie Urquhart, who has worked for some of the most prestigious scientific journal publishing houses in London, in 2009 during their undergraduate studies. They have been inseparable friends since their first chemistry lectures together. When not busy with work or families, they love nothing more than catching up over great food.