World News – GB – Black History Month: what is it – and why do we celebrate it every October?

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Black History Month has started in the UK – and will run from October 1 to October 31, 2020

The event, which has been observed since 1987, aims to celebrate important people and events in the history of people of African and Caribbean descent

It may appear that there are several months of black history, due to the fact that other parts of the globe – including the United States, where the events receive international coverage – observe the month of February.

In the United States, Black History Month was first celebrated in 1970, although it was still six years before the month began to be celebrated each year.

This first celebration was the spiritual successor of the « Week of the history of the negroes », which took place in February 1926.

The brainchild of Carter G Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of Black Life and History, its goal was to encourage coordinated teaching of black American history in public schools from the country

Only the education departments of the states of North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia showed interest at first, but despite the less than enthusiastic response from school officials, Woodson was optimistic.

He felt that the success of this first week could allow the general movement to become something celebrated every year.

By 1929 it was gaining ground, with state departments of education in « all states with large black populations » making the event known to their teachers and distributing official literature.

Soon, mayors across the United States approved the week as a public holiday, prompting the formation of black history clubs and increased interest.

It was joined by Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who had served as Special Projects Coordinator for the Greater London Council and created a collaboration to get it going.

33 years later, each October marks Black History Month in the UK, and a number of special events and celebrations take place to mark the occasion

Due to current restrictions on coronaviruses, limits are in place on the type of events that can be held, with mass gatherings banned

Black History Month is a great opportunity for people from all walks of life to learn about black history and the often overlooked people who have made a difference in the country.

Your local museum may host exhibitions or special events or a nearby cinema may have a thematic program of relevant films and screenings

Check the websites of your local cultural institutions to check out any special events they might be hosting to mark the occasion

On the streets, Royal Mail said four letterboxes – in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast – were painted black with a gold border as part of Black History Month in October

Each of the special edition mailboxes are linked to social media and feature a prominent figure in the British black community

On social media, black women, including recent Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, take over Instagram accounts of prominent white women (including Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham) on October 1

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Black History Month, African American History