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WELCOME
Welcome to Black History Month 2018
On behalf of the Black History Month team, I would like to welcome you all to the 2018 edition of Black History Month Magazine.The magazine has a focus this year on the following key landmark dates which has an impact on Black Britons and our wider vibrant multicultural society in the UK:
• 70thanniversaryofHMTEmpireWindrush • 70th anniversary of the NHS • 60th anniversary of Notting Hill Riots • 50th anniversary of the 1968 Race
Relations Act • 50th anniversary of Enoch Powell’s
Speech Rivers of Blood • 50th anniversary of the Race Equality think tank,The RunnymedeTrust.
Thevariousarticles,featuresandinterviews will capture the different elements of this watershed moment in Black History and its impact especially in 2018 with theWindrush Scandal and our departure from the European Union in 2019.
In 2017 when we launched our last publication celebrating the 30th anniversary of Black History Month in the UK this lead to a debate within the community and in academic circles of the relevance and the importance of the BHMfromitsinceptionin1987.AsEditor, Itriedtoreflectthediversityofthedifferent perspectiveswhichagainispickedbysome of our contributors this year especially in thelight of thegovernment finally agreeing to a nationalWindrush Day from June 2019. AsaCompanywehavebeen thinking of this regarding the branding of the concept of Black History Month and the fact that there are over 4000 events up anddown thecountrystart inSeptember and finish in January as part of a season. Fromschools,universities,localauthorities, museums,archives,various community heritageprojectsandstaffnetworksinthe public and private sector they are all pushing the boundaries of Black History Month in timing and content.Whilst at thesame timesomelocalauthoritiesand schoolsareeitheradoptingacolourblind approach to all histories or because of austerity and cuts are reclassifying Black HistoryMonthandcreatingaonesizefits all of multicultural history,which often is dumbingdownandservesnorealpurpose for young people and the public.These authoritiesandschoolsarefailingin their Public Sector Equality duty in promoting good race relations.Black History Month wasestablished tocover thedeficit inlack ofhistoricalcontent andrepresentationof theachievementforAfricanandCaribbean community in Britain.With no central coordination or consistent funding sadly Black History Month is derided and at times not valued by all.
It isveryclear that in2018wearenot in a post racial Britain with the issue of Anti-Semitism,WindrushScandal,hatecrime against migrants and LGBT community, over representation in mental health system,andrisingstopandsearchagainst black people.I believe it is even more criticalthatweadvanceandpromote the importance of Black British historyanditsconnection toworld history both past and present. Through our various publicationsandonlineplatforms, along with the relaunch of 100 Great Black Britons in 2019,we will promote 365 days of Black Historywithourlimitedresources. We will work with various stakeholders to share and communicate events,features andblogswhichwilladdvaluetothe publicationandeducationbeyondOctober. We are committed to work in partnership with academics,activists, policy makers and the wider community to ensure Black History in taught at all levels from pre-school to doctorate level. Also we want to support any campaign that will change how Black History and the experience of the African diaspora communityisvaluedandrespectedaspart of the national narrative of this country. Finally,I would like to thank our contributors,advertisers and production team in making this magazine a success. However,importantly we want to you as ourreadersandthosewhoaccessouronline version of the magazine to be part of a socialmovement tosharepromote,inform and educate so that Black History is one to be proud of and to defend to ensure it does not lose it instinctive value for all future generations.
