As many people may know, October 1st marks the beginning of Black History Month in Ireland. In 2014, Ireland became the fourth country in the world to officially recognise Black History Month, following in the footsteps of the US, UK and Canada. For those who might not be aware, Black History Month is seen as a time when we celebrate the history, contributions, and culture of black people in Ireland. During this time we see lots of events, forums, and community activities that aim to celebrate black culture in Ireland as well as engage and educate people about the black communities.
So to get straight into it why do we need black history month? And is it something that is still seen as necessary in today’s society?
The short answer to that is yes.
The contributions of black people in Ireland are often overlooked and under-explored. We very rarely see black people being featured in our history books or classes. We are taught to view history from a very white lens. It’s almost as if black people didn’t exist at the time but we know that is far from the truth. Black people and our history are just as influential and important. Black History Month helps highlight that missing part of history. During Black History Month, we shed light on a very overlooked and marginalized community in a way that is rarely seen throughout the rest of the year.
Black History Month is also a time of celebration. We get to celebrate the diverse African and Caribbean culture that exists in Ireland in a way that does not ostracize it. We rarely have time to celebrate those cultures, especially in a positive light and Black Irish people need to be able to do so. It allows us to celebrate our communities in a place we now know as home.
Another important thing about Black History Month is as an ally it is an amazing time for you to educate yourself more on the communities you advocate for. After the resurgence of the BLM movement in the summer of 2020, many non-black people stood in support of black rights as a way to show solidarity. If you’re someone who advocates for black rights, especially in Ireland black history month is a time to listen to black people and learn more about our communities and history so as to make us feel more seen and heard.
Another good reason to celebrate Black History Month is so we can stop asking why we have Black History Month. In a lot of ways, when people ask this question it operates under the lens that Black History Months are something completely unnecessary and why can’t every month just be black history month along with other races’ history? And although that would be nice, that is not the reality of things. Black History Month is still so necessary because there is such an absence of black people in mainstream history curriculums. But also black people are still marginalized in this country, many of us have experienced racism as well as our Irish identity being erased or ignored. This is a time for us to celebrate ourselves as Black Irish people as well as educate ourselves and others. That education is very important because it allows us to recognise that Black History Month is still very much needed and important in today’s society.