October is Black History month, and in the last month Edinburgh and the University has enjoyed celebrating and learning about the rich history of black culture. Black History Month was originally only a week long, and was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, an African American scholar, educator and historian. In 1976 it became Black History month and has been celebrated ever since. The first Black History month in the UK was celebrated in 1987 and the idea was brought to this country by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a Ghanian refugee.
The university kicked off celebrations by flying the UNIA (Pan-African) flag over the old college, which represents “Black freedom and pride around the world”. This year, the university focused on the theme ‘Reclaiming narratives. The University chose this theme as it represents “a significant shift towards recognizing, showcasing and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture.” Some of the specific events that they held were “Rooting decolonial education: Routes for repair and liberation” and “practical strategies for Anti-racism and decolonisation”. Through these lectures, the university hoped to spread awareness and give black academics the space to discuss important issues.
The Student Union has a BME Liberation Campaign which leads representation efforts and helps show students where they can find events and spaces to talk about their experiences and learn about others. The main library made displays to showcase books written by black authors about their experiences.
The Student reached out to Black Women at Edinburgh society to hear what this month meant for them and how they viewed the celebration. The society commented: “We are dedicated to supporting Black women at the University every day – not solely during Black History Month.” They continued, “Black History month is an important time for recognizing Black history and contributions, but supporting BHM in an active, committed way is the responsibility of everyone at the University,” The society wanted to show their year-round commitments to raising awareness that Black History month should not be the only time people learn about Black culture.
BWE hosts a podcast to talk about issues that they are facing during their time at University. One notable topic was about the underrepresentation of Black women on campus, and how they wish to tackle this issue. Some of the ideas they suggested revolved around collaborating with other societies to bring opportunities directly to their members. The society also hopes to have career workshops and creative spaces to ensure that black female students received just as many opportunities as their fellow peers.
This year, as every year, Black History month has held an important role in educating students and staff about Black culture and history, and why it matters to all of us to continue to strive for equality across all aspects of society. The dedication of the month, however, should not mean that October is the only time that the celebration and commemoration of Black history is a priority. Year-round events enable the connection and representation of Black students and staff at the university, and remind the whole community of our responsibility to educate ourselves on diverse histories and cultures.
Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash.