The importance of participating in Black History Month
Lily Pryer
Thursday, October 22, 2020
For many of us, 2020 has been a wake-up call to learn about and take action against deep-rooted racism ingrained at many levels of society.
Perhaps this year, more than ever, participating in Black History Month is an opportunity to ensure the #BlackLivesMatter movement doesn’t stop at a social media hashtag, and that our solidarity is not performative.
Black History Month encourages us to view history centred on the black experience and is a step to advocate for more inclusive education from the multitude of ethnic identities that make up the important fabric of black cultural and ethnic groups. Black History Month is an impactful springboard to expand our educational horizons and acknowledge the generational contributions of black people both past and present.
Talking about Black History at home is a great starting point to be more grateful for the things we have and where they come from, as well as fill some of the gaps in our own personal knowledge. We should all make a conscious effort to make an inclusive space for everyone, and learning about the influence and contributions of black people throughout history, as well as making space for Black people to lead the conversation are excellent ways to do so.
The children of today will grow up to be the voices of tomorrow, so the history lessons and perspectives we teach them now are the first steps to enable long-lasting change and empowerment that spans generations. Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity for parents and caregivers to invite children to actively see colour, to see culture, to see history, and to acknowledge that race has an impact on people’s life experiences and their world view.
The ethnic heritage and contributions of black communities is something valuable that’s worth exploring and helps us to acknowledge that black history is multidimensional, beautiful, and inspirational with many positive elements.
Our Guide to Black History Month aims to shine the spotlight on the many ways we can ensure both ourselves, family, and friends explore and uplift black history, heritage and culture.
Lily Pryer is the UK content creator for online childcare platform Yoopies.
