Black History Month: Some Reservations

I’ve often had my doubts about Black History Month as a concept.

As an awareness raising focus, it has great merit. However it plays to the exceptionalist school of thought. To be honest, I would prefer that the contribution of people of colour (another term I have reservations about!) is recognised in the full panoply of historical development, rather than appended as an afterthought, or by way of some compensatory month. It should have had a transitory status and not be a destination.

It says volumes of the cultural bias of people in the UK and the US that a distinction between ‘black history’ and ‘history’ is maintained. It speaks of the very cultural centrism which has generated the populism of nationalistic ignorance which is currently blighting both countries.

In this context, I found this article from the blogger, the Teacherist, very illuminating: Black History Month: Really?

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About educationalist04

I'm convinced we can, as a species, do much better than this if we set our minds to being much more positive and productive towards our fellow humans. The solution is learning - creating independent and autonomous learners who can problem solve, innovate and create a better more equitable and sustainable world. My books, Future Proof Your School and Re-Examining Success together with this blog, explore how better learning outcomes for all can be achieved.

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