While working as the coordinator of Special Projects at the Greater London Council in the 1980s, a young Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, had to console a colleague, an Afrikan woman who had tried to consciously raise her six year-old son with a positive self image (even naming him after Marcus Garvey), when she reported that he came home school asking why couldn’t he be white. (1)

Baba Akyaaba, rightly concluded that the root cause of the issue was not with the mother but “The national curriculum, local authorities, churches and the institutions.” (2) But rather than engaging in the relentless gnashing of teeth that would have consumed many, he brought forward a vision to challenge these factors and transform the self-image of not just little Marcus but every Afrikan child – Black History Month.

Calling upon his own activism birthed in his native Ghana he tapped into the sense of militancy that was permeating not just the community, but the Afrikan world in that decade (e.g. New Cross Massacre, Brixton and Broadwater Farm uprisings, New Jewel Movement in Grenada, Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso, Afrocentricity) and advocated for the establishment of Black History Month in the UK. (3)

As the centrepiece of Afrikan Jubilee Year 1987-8, the inaugaral Black History took place in October 1987 with a raft of declarations including: “promoting positive public images and an understanding of Afrikans and people of Afrikan descent and encourage the positive teaching and development of their history, culture and struggles” and to “support Afrikan organisations and liberation movements based in London”. The occasion also boated a stellar list of international speakers. (4)

Thirty-seven years on a recent study finds that 95% of “black Britons” believe the British national curriculum is failing to teach black history-related subjects and that 80% agreed that racial discrimination is the biggest barrier to young black people’s academic attainment. (5)

Local authorities have had a major influence on BHM over the years yet there are growing concerns that they regard it as little more than a ‘tick-box’ exercise, if they engage with it at all. (6) Not surprisingly the current Conservative government, replete with a track record of anti-Black policies and sentiments, have also taken shots suggesting it could become “racism history month.” (7)

Consequently, it might even be necessary to teach the history of Black History Month in the UK, not least because of the dynamic era it was born in. Onr reason for doing this can be found the current edition of Black History Magazine. While containing some excellent articles it mentions Baba Akyaaba Addai-Sebo just once (and mispells his name) and Baba Carter G Woodson, the founder of the original observance established in 1926 not at all. (8)

(1) Kubara Zamani (2004) The Origins Of Black History Month In The UK. Nubiart Diary

(2) Noah Anthony Enahoro (27/09/23) Akyaaba Addai-Sebo: the shocking conversation that led him to start UK Black History Month. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/27/akyaaba-addai-sebo-the-shocking-conversation-that-led-him-to-start-uk-black-history-month

(3) Menelik Shabazz (1988) Time and Judgement. Ceddo Film/Video Production. This film provides and excellent overview of the decade from and Akrikan-centred perspective)

(4) Akyaaba Addai-Sebo an Ansel Wong (Eds) (1988) Our Story – A Handbook of African History and Contemporary Issues. London Strategic Poverty Unit p. 7-8; p. 319. The speakers included: Baba John Henrik Clarke, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, Tony Martin, Sally Mugabe, Frances Cress Welsing, and Maulana Karenga

(5) Aamna Mohdin (28/09/23) Less than half of black Britons feel proud to be British, landmark study says. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/less-than-half-of-black-britons-feel-proud-to-be-british-landmark-study-says

(6) Lucy Campbell (11/10/20) ‘It isn’t a tick-box’: young BLM activists on Black History Month in UK schools. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/11/it-isnt-tick-box-young-black-lives-matter-activists-on-black-history-month-uk-schools; Kuba Shand-Baptiste (03/10/18) Why I’m sick of having to fight to celebrate Black History Month. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/black-history-month-why-im-sick-of-having-to-fight-to-celebrate-black-britain-windrush-a8566596.html; Simba Mbandaka (01/10/1186) Black History Month: This Year More Than Ever It’s Important To Celebrate Our Roots https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/black-history-month_uk_5bb1d618e4b0343b3dc1abb8?ncid=other_twitter_cooo9wqtham&utm_campaign=share_twitter&guccounter=1; (7)Rachel Wearmouth (31/10/21) Black History Month becoming ‘racism history month’, claims Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/fury-minister-kemi-badenoch-claims-25341328; Lizzie Dearden (13/09/21) Government says discrimination against black people and Travellers ‘objectively justified’ with new laws. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/policing-bill-discrimination-black-travellers-b1919272.html; Satbir Singh (20/03/20) The damning Windrush scandal review has been buried under the coronavirus crisis for a reason. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/windrush-review-coronavirus-home-office-priti-patel-racism-a9413796.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2lMRa9C1tK_GuVY7fqxZkZnY44LdREzkuqywk-slQCv7munLUHX4w_nU0#Echobox=1584725672

(8) Marsha de Cordova (2023) Saluting A Pioneering Voice: Olive Morris. https://issuu.com/blackhistorymonth/docs/bhm_2023_final_web

So tonight we ask the question:

Where is BHM at after 37 years?

1) To what extent to are the original aims still being reflected in BHM events today?

2) What’s changed and what’s remained the same for us in the last 37 years?

3) Is BHM becoming “racism history month”?

4) Do we need to teach the history of Black History Month?

Our Special Guests:

Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.

Baba Akyaaba Addai-Sebo: a long standing Pan-Afrikan activist and is one of the main inspirations of Afrikan Jubilee Year, which spawned the establishment of “Black History Month” in the UK in October 1987. He has also been an independent Consultant on Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation and Special Envoy of International Alert. He helped to broker peace negotiations between the fighting groups in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Other roles held include consultant to The Listen Charity’s (UK) advocacy and fundraising campaign in support of the exemplary work of expert children’s charities mostly in developing countries. Bro. Addai is presently in Ghana working on a reforestation project to green degraded lands. In November 2022 Baba Akyaaba was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Literature by School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

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