October 16, 2014 - Written by: Poppy Gillian

Black History Month: Shouldn’t this be something we ALL learn about?

October is Black History Month, but until now it hasn’t really something I’ve given much thought to before. I’m sure I probably did some lessons in school on it, but I can’t really remember it.

When I think about Black History Month, I think of well-known figures such as Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King.

I have probably heard the ‘I have a dream’ speech about twenty times. But those three people aren’t the only ones who have made contributions to society.

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The reason I’ve got to thinking about this, is because Black History Month is a topic I’m discussing with students this week at college. I felt quite embarrassed that many of the students more about it than I did.

The first time I really thought properly about black and white people being treated differently was when I read ‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Malorie Blackman.

The bit that struck me the most was when the main character made the observation that plasters are ‘skin-coloured’ but only match a certain type of skin. It wasn’t something I’d realised before, as plasters had always matched my own skin.

But what if they didn’t? How would I have felt then?

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I think there is still a generational divide when it comes to perceptions of race. Words that were acceptable seventy years ago aren’t acceptable now. But not everyone has got the message.

Saying that, I probably see a joke that references race at least once a day on my Facebook newsfeed. Because some people think it’s funny, does that make it okay? I don’t think so.

Black History Month is about celebrating how things have changed and the achievements that have been made by ‘non-white’ people.

But, to be honest, I don’t think that we should need a ‘month’ to point this out. Whether the historical figures are black, white or any other race, it’s history all the same and we should ALL learn about it.

One of the YouTube videos I watched with the students was a social experiment. Actors played a shop assistant, security guard and a customer. The customer was openly treated negatively because of her race.

The experiment was to see how other people reacted to this. What shocked me was seeing people completely ignore what was happening.

We live in a multi-cultural society where people from different cultures and backgrounds live side-by-side.

From now on I’m going to make more of an effort to learn a bit more about the history and cultures I’m not that aware of.

If we all embrace diversity I don’t think we will need a special month to point out ‘Black History.’

I’m not saying that we all need to crack open a text book, but personally I’m going to make that little bit of extra effort to find out more about events that have made our society what it is today.

If you liked this article why not check out ‘There’s No Such Things as ‘Can’t!”