Black History Month (BHM) is a national event that takes place in Britain in the month of October.

It aims to promote knowledge of ‘Black History’ and to disseminate knowledge of positive black contributions to Britain. The event is widely supported and endorsed by the UK government.

BHM was originally developed in the USA by Dr Carter G Woodson in 1926. Dr Woodson acknowledged that ‘those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history’. He spent 30 years as the editor of the journal – ‘Negro History Week’ which established African-Caribbean celebrations in the USA. ‘Negro History Week’ evolved into BHM which is celebrated annually in the USAand Canada in the month of February.

The purpose of BHM is to acknowledge that ‘Black History’ is ‘World History’.

This momentous occasion encourages recognition of the immense contribution of Africa’s great civilisations, the Black and Asian scholars, astronomers and inventors and African empires and monarchies. BHM was brought here in the late 1980s and has grown to thousands of events and celebrations now taking place across Britain.

British history has, in the past, been taught from a mainly White Anglo-Saxon perspective and BHM helps us to balance this view. The event encourages us to reflect on things like the thousands of black sailors who fought in Nelson’s navy, or the many Caribbean, African, Indian and other nonwhite soldiers who fought in World Wars. Furthermore, the event also recognises the economic, religious, cultural and political contributions Black and Asian people make to modern day Britain.

It is without doubt that BHM offers a wider and more inclusive perspective of British History. This is an important occasion that draws our attention to the significant role these communities make (and have always made) to society.