1st October marks the beginning of Black History Month at the Wales Millennium Centre, the first of many events around Wales to raise awareness of the contributions of the African diaspora in Wales.
Wales is home to the oldest continuous black community in the United Kingdom, and the first Arabic-language newspaper in Europe. It’s no surprise that BHM is undoubtedly one of the most live, diverse and active cultural events in the Welsh calendar. BHM Wales also ran an awards ceremony at the Senedd on 30th September to mark the achievements of young black Welsh people. It marks an important moment in the recognition of the African and African Caribbean diaspora in Wales.
Black History Month is an annual observance in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. A wise man once said “history is written by the victors” and it is in this context BHM was created to address the problem of history from a race-blind perspective and to address the erasure of history of black communities in the wider curriculum. Unfortunately, that non-discussion of alternative history is something that is still ongoing, necessitating events like BHM. The theme of BHM Wales is “Young, Gifted and Black” a nod to the late Jazz singer Nina Simone, who actually wrote the song about black playwright Lorraine Hansberry, author of Raisin in the Sun.
This year’s BHM Wales will be undertaking events predominantly in and around South Wales, with two events at the Wales Millennium Centre and a music extravaganza to mark the occasion on 22nd October in Swansea. BHM Wales will end in Swansea at the National Waterfront Museum, where there will be a series of talks, workshops, dance and music.
Following Brexit, race hate crime spiked in Wales against people from black and minority ethnic communities. Additionally, black Welsh children are disproportionately less likely to achieve at the same rate as their white counterparts in a school system that props up the necessity of BHM in Wales through a non-discussion of race in a Welsh context: but now that’s changing with BHM.
Black History Month Wales, Events across Wales throughout October. Info: www.bhmwales.org.uk
words YASMIN BEGUM