Black History Month 2002


A Living History

Of course it sounds implausible. But suppose one of our ancestors here in Britain, say 400 years ago, had decided as a child to keep a scrapbook record of what it was like then for Black people.

And suppose all the generations since had added their bits and pieces - tales of far-off homelands, old family trinkets and photos, famous trials and landmark victories and political tracts, There would be a place for posters, letters, much loved songs, well worn holy books, and stories of strife and struggle: of labour without reward.

We would recognise, if such a scrapbook had been compiled, that Afro-British history is vast, from its ancient African origins to its trans-Atlantic roots.

We would have an enhanced perspective on the recent past of Blacks In Britain: from the post war days as immigrant outsiders, to the angry, eloquent voices of the Black Parents' and Black Pride movements of the 1960s to 1970s, and from the cultural and political breakthroughs of the 1980s - in sports, fashion, music and parliament - to the modest gains in government, trade unions, business and the media today.

We would know how the best and the worst of ourselves was, and is still today, tested in the quest for equality and justice in jobs, health care, education and law and order.

Now, more than ever before, it is widely recognised that Black history is a living interactive and transnational history. It is a challenge and a call from voices past - asking us what have we done, what are we doing and what are we prepared to do to ensure that our lives are bettered and the dreams of generations past are achieved.

Though no single record exists, increased awareness of the historical journey of Black Britain is a source of pride, dignity and inspiration to people of African Caribbean heritage. It is also a firm basis for promoting understanding among all the nation's peoples.

 

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