In Britain, October is Black History Month



In Britain, October is Black History Month

As I mentioned in my blog post From LA to the UK, I am an Ethiopian-American woman studying for a Masters in Social and Public Policy at the University of Leeds in Britain. In that post I documented some of my initial experiences with language and cultural differences in the U.K. Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that in Britain, Black History Month is in October! Having lived in America my entire life I am used to celebrating Black History Month in February, which is when the U.S. observes it. 

During my first month in Britain I learned that Black-British people are either immigrants from Caribbean or African countries or their descendants. After talking to people on campus and in the city I've learned that the Black population here is considered an immigrant community. This goes back to British history: during the Atlantic Slave Trade, Britain garnered wealth by trafficking human slaves to different countries including those in the Caribbean. Unlike America, Britain did not bring slaves into its own country and the British economy was never dependent on slavery the way the U.S. economy once was. This difference in history makes for a different culture and conception of Blackness. Of course, my understanding is still very rudimentary, largely based on word of mouth and not nuanced due to my lack of time and experience in Britain. 

As part of the Black History Month celebrations at my university I participated in a photo exhibit showcasing the diversity of African and Afro-Caribbean hair. The theme for Black History Month at my university is "Don't Touch My Hair" and the exhibit was accompanied by a discussion about microaggressions Black people face in British society, including having their hair touched without permission (something that will be familiar to some Black Americans). I have included pictures from the photo exhibit and Carnivale/Caribbean style outfits from the Leeds Light Festival below. Enjoy and Happy (British) Black History Month!
























Hyphenated Ethiopian third culture kid. Twitter: @moonchereka

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