The Importance Of Black History
What is Black History? Before we can even begin to answer this question, we must first explore what it means to be “Black”. Black people are not a homogenous group. There are notable variations in cultures, appearance and language even within the three most identifiable groups: African, Caribbean and American.
These differences range from how one might pronounce the word “plantain” to the various styles of native clothing or even how connected one feels to the motherland. With over 50 countries, over 2000 languages and 1.2 billion people within Africa alone, it is safe to say that the people who fall under the umbrella term “Black” are a varied group.
While our differences must be respected and clearly defined, our connection should be celebrated. No, we are not homogenous, but our histories are allied. We all descend from African ancestors. Our journeys and destinations may be vastly different, but our starting point is the same.
But why is this important? Well, let’s start with this quote from Malcolm X…
“What makes the so-called Negro unable to stand on his own two feet? He has no self-confidence. He has no proud confidence in his own people. Because the white man destroyed your and my past. Destroyed our knowledge of our culture. And by having destroyed it, now we don’t know if we have any achievements. Any accomplishments. And as long as you can be convinced you never did anything, you can never do anything.”
Well, that pretty much answers the question. Imagine not having a standard to compare yourself with? Not knowing that you are capable of achieving so much more than society has in store for you.
This quote encompasses the essence of why Black History is vital:
- Black History, when done correctly, has the potential to uplift our race by putting to bed the notion that black people are synonymous with slavery, extortion, brutality and the other trials and tragedies used to define our race.
- Black History is important because it highlights, not only the experiences, but the mettle that allowed those before us not only to persevere through harsher times, but to impart wisdom onto their own and future generations.
- Black History is imperative because it can guide our future by helping us to learn lessons from our past.
There are plenty of other reasons, but let’s stick to these three. So, what do they mean…
1. It does away with the perception that black people are synonymous with trials and tribulations
The vast majority of people associate Black History with the Transatlantic trade of African men, women and children. They associate it with the likes of ‘Jim Crow’ and the struggles faced by the American Civil Rights Movement. The focus is often, if not always, overshadowed with negativity and hardship.
For far too long, this negative slant on Black History has been a staple in our schools. In the UK, GCSE History (taught to 15–16-year olds) has a module on the American Civil Rights Movement. The module goes through African-American history from the so-called ‘slave trade’ to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement.
Oftentimes, impressionable teenagers distance themselves from their African ancestors/African-American brothers and sisters, in hopes to disassociate from slavery and its implications. Worst still, they may embody the message, and view themselves as somehow lesser to their peers who they learn are the inventors, innovators and constructors of complex societies.
Black children in the UK are taught about black oppression, and for too many children this is the only education that they receive on the history of their race. They remain blind to the rich and complex history of their ancestors, and what Africa was before the Transatlantic trade of human beings.
We are taught Greek Mythology in school; so why can’t we explore the life of King Mansa Musa, the richest person in all history. Or the Walls of Benin City, the world’s largest man-made earth structure. We leave out the scientific discoveries made in 15th Century Timbuktu or the victories of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the Haitian Revolution.
Instead these elements of Black History are relegated to the side-lines and to unreliable Wikipedia pages that do their upmost to discredit the achievements of our ancestors by putting them down to European influence. While in reality, African influence is seen all over the world, from Mathematics (the Ishango bone is the world’s oldest mathematical artefact) to Medicine (indigenous healers in modern-day Uganda performed safe and effective Caesarean sections).
The beauty of Black History is that it is not synonymous with suffering, but is instead tantamount to perseverance, achievement and tenacity — that is a lesson that all black people need to learn.
2. It gives context to the struggles of, and standards set by, those before us
It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And if the present state of American politics is anything to go by, it would appear that America has not learnt its lesson.
Police brutality, economic inequality and a disturbing wave of white supremacist rhetoric contributed to a series of protest and unrest in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the same can be said about the present day.
54 years after Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech, African-Americans are still having to witness the unlawful deaths of their children and scream to whoever will listen that their lives also matter. A fact that would have undoubtedly unsettled the 250,000 people who came out to march for change that Summer’s day in Washington. But here we are in 2017, still marching, still fighting, still in need of movements like Black Lives Matter.
One could argue that Black Lives Matter is just the modern-day iteration of prominent Civil Rights movements of the 60s and 70s. Pioneered by the likes of Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, who set the blueprint for remonstration in the Black American community. In fact, Malcolm X’s infamous “by any means necessary” speech could be seen as a call to action for the Black Lives Matter movement, that is, if you take into account the full context of the speech.
Misconceptions are rife in our society and this is probably one of the most misconstrued quotes of all time, so bear with me. Everyone has heard the Malcolm X quote “by any means necessary”, it is commonly attributed to his ‘violent’, no nonsense approach to Civil Rights. But how many of us are aware of the words that precede this line…
“We declare our right on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being, in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.”
The full quote completely changes the dynamic and meaning of what Malcolm X was saying. This is not an antagonistic statement, but a demand to be treated and “respected as a human being.”
Fast-forward 53 years later and we are still demanding to be treated and respected as human beings. Black lives are human lives; and the fact that this is till up for debate is incomprehensible. It begs the question, how much has truly changed? The scenes in 2017 of white supremacists in Charlottesville looks and feels eerily similar to the monochromatic photos of the 50s and 60s.
In 1964, Civil and Human Rights activist Ella Baker said…
“Until the killing of black men, black mother’s sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.”
Some 50 years later, the same fight is still being fought.
Let us take strength from the victories of our predecessors and look to them as inspiration for the victories we are yet to achieve.
3. It helps guide us on our quest for empowerment
If there is one thing we can all agree on it is that black people around the world could be living better lives. The Guardian newspaper published an article recently on how the median wealth of Black Americans ‘will fall to zero by 2053’. A 2017 United Nations report suggests that in Sub-Saharan Africa, 88% of children and adolescents will enter adulthood without a basic proficiency in reading. The Guardian also reported that only 36 of Britain’s ‘1,000 most powerful people’ are ethnic minorities — with 9 of that 36 being black.
These articles just scratch the surface of a multitude of problems and injustices facing black people all over the world, be it in education, the economy or inequality. But for as long as there has been injustice, there have been people willing to stand up and bind together to fight against it.
Black people have had no shortage of inspirational figures throughout history, figures who have spoken out against the fundamental issues facing black people and black nations.
Malcolm X constantly spoke about the importance of education — “education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” Marcus Garvey spoke about the importance of economic empowerment — “without commerce and industry, a people perish economically. The Negro is perishing because he has no economic system.”
Former President of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, said on equality, “the revolution and women’s liberation go together. We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or because of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the triumph of the revolution. Women hold up the other half of the sky.” While the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, spoke about “finding an African solution to African problems” through African unity to help “Africa become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.”
Diane Abbott, the first black woman elected to British parliament said of education, “it is not just the key to our society now, but to our competitiveness as society goes forward in a modern, globalised world.” While British community leader and activist Olive Morris fought against racism, police brutality and inequality by encouraging black women to “fight now for the future of your kids.”
All leaders and inspirational figures from different walks of life, but all with a passion and drive to see the empowerment of their community through education, equality and economic progress.
No one in America wants their grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be set up for failure because of a lack of effective education. No one in Britain wants their family or their community to be in a state of perpetual underachievement. No one in Africa wants future generations to read about the progress of Africa in the 21st Century with shame and disappointment.
For us to progress, we must embrace the words of wisdom from our ancestors and use them as a guide in our quest for empowerment.
