Black History Month

Jacob, from our Youth Advisory Board, on the importance of Black History Month:

Black History Month is a very important part of the year, not just for the Black community but for everyone. It encourages us to take a look at parts of the past that aren’t always at the forefront of discussion and lets us focus on the diversity of our modern society and see the world in new and different ways. Black history is just as important if not more so than all other parts of history, and humanity should remember that. We are one species, even if we don’t always act like one, we are better because we are different, not worse.

Looking to the past is often very helpful to build a better future, just as reading through notes helps to prepare for a big test, and the future is a complicated and confusing test. When we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us we make progress. Our modern world is the product of this progress and it is a very beautiful and complex product indeed, without our history we would not have this world we live in.

Often when people think about history they think of medieval or ancient times, but really, history is just a collection of past events, some big, some small but all are important and should be remembered. We couldn’t be where we are now if it wasn’t for history, both literally and figuratively. History can be last year, last month or even just yesterday, and we need to focus as much on recent history as we do on ancient history. We should also focus on the depth and diversity of our history all the way from the start to the here and now, the gift of the present.

Also looking at the diversity of our society really can help us understand others and ourselves better, and where would we be without diversity? A lot of things we enjoy today come from many different cultures: pizza, potatoes, tacos, textiles, sandals, silk, games, gadgets and more all have come from a variety of places and we wouldn’t be the world we are today without diversity. The whole point of society is to be a collection of all people and the hopes, dreams, thoughts, feelings and ideas that come with us, to create new ideas, new experiences and new dreams, and to engineer those into a future that is better for all.

In conclusion, Black History Month is a great chance to look back and reflect but also think forward to the future that we are building. You may be asking how you can get involved with black history month, in which case you can head over to the Black History Month website where you can find resource packs and lots of useful blogs, news articles, interviews and more, they also have more ways you can get involved with Black History Month and learn more about a very rich and interesting history.