BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

It’s been 34 years since the UK started celebrating Black History Month, back in October 1987. It’s a time where diversity and inclusion is at the forefront of the celebration and a time to remember those who fought for freedom and equality.  

It was first set up by Ghanaian-born Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a Special Project Officer at the Greater London council. He says that he wanted to celebrate in the month of October because children were fresh off from the summer holidays, so therefore they would be more engaged and share more camaraderie. Since then, the UK has paid to several national figures who have paved the way and have made significant contributions to the country.  

The UK has started a ‘proud to be’ campaign where people of all ages are encouraged to share what they are proud to be on social media. Inspired by the events of the 2020 Black Lives Matter events, the focus will be on celebrating being black and being proud of the heritage. 

Celebrations have kicked off from the 1st October 2021, where local authorities in the UK raised the pan-African flag to mark the start of Black History Month. In Cardiff, a statue was unveiled of the first black head teacher, Betty Campbell, MBE who passed away in 2017. 

On 20th October 2021, the Imperial War Museum in London will open an exhibition featuring inspiring stories of black men and women during the Second World War. Among them was 18 year old Billy Strachan, who sold his bicycle and saxophone to pay for a voyage from Jamaica to Britain to join the RAF. Another influential figure is Seth Anthony, who became the first black African-born soldier to become an officer in the British army.  

Catherine Ross, the editor of Black History Month UK, said: “It’s been a challenging time for many Black and Brown people, with so much in the media about racism, inequality and injustice. We wanted the theme of Black History Month 2021 to focus on celebrating being Black or Brown, and to inspire and share the pride people have in their heritage and culture – in their own way, in their own words.”

For more information about Black History Month, visit: www.BlackHistoryMonth.org.uk.

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