What Black History Month means to me

Shirley-Ann Hunte, London

In the UK, Black History Month is typically a month of remembrance, honoring those who sacrificed and suffered for the sake of racial equality and allows us to pause and remember their stories, so we can commemorate their achievements. It’s about bringing awareness of this rich culture to all people, irrespective of color or creed.

Black History Month at its best encompasses joy, activism and representation. It’s a time to celebrate the arts, literature and business achievements of people of color. It’s about doing actual work that will make the world better for those coming behind us. It’s about radical self-love for ourselves and our people. Black History Month should challenge us to immerse ourselves in the richness of black culture.

We are more than a people who come from slavery. We have more than one great hero. We have been visionaries, scientists, astronauts, inventors and everything else under the sun. That history is for everyone to know.

It’s about recognizing the sacrifices which people of color have made to make this world a better place, and, more particularly, this place that we call home. It is most certainly more than just a month and should be embraced for the rest of the year and beyond.

The world and people’s perceptions will change only when they are no longer ignorant, or plead ignorance.