Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Black

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month What is Black History Month? Every October Britain celebrates Black History Month. It provides a time of reflection for all people in Britain to think about the contribution to history of people from the African diaspora and of the importance of history to all of us. Britain is a multi-cultural nation and its own history is very diverse and complex. BHM is a chance to showcase the contributions of different people and nations to the world we live in today.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Black History Month Exhibition This exhibition provides a small sample of the rich and diverse history of the people of the great African diaspora. Have a look at the different exhibits and let them inspire you to find out more about some of the greatest people and events in history which many of us may not know enough about.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Mexico Olympics 1968 These 3 athletes stood up for black civil rights in America during the medal ceremony of the 200 m final. Tommie Smith and John Carlos of the USA and Peter Norman from Australia protested against oppression of black people by doing a Black Power salute and wearing Human Rights badges. Their protest is one of the most famous in history but came at a cost, ending their athletics careers.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Muhammad Ali Possibly the greatest sports personality of all time but also a committed Muslim, civil rights campaigner and pacifist who sacrificed his sporting career by refusing to join the United States Army in the Vietnam War in the 1960 s. He is now regarded as one of the most influential people of all time.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Wole Soyinka Nigerian poet and playwright and the first African to be awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is also a respected critic of persecution and corruption around the world and a peace activist risking his life to speak out about important issues in Africa and elsewhere.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for opposing the apartheid regime in South Africa but was celebrated as a freedom fighter by supporters around the world. After his release from jail, he led the African National Congress to power and became South Africa’s first black president. As president, he committed the government to a policy of reconciliation and aimed to unite all the peoples of South Africa into one ‘rainbow nation’.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Olaudah Equiano Born in 1745 in Nigeria but kidnapped aged 11 and sold by local slave traders and shipped across the Atlantic to the USA. He was then bought by a Ship’s captain travelling the world as a slave. In 1786 he became involved in the movement to abolish slavery and in 1789 he published his autobiography, 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African’ which is still today one of the most important forms of evidence about the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Mary Seacole was born in Jamaica, but came over to England in 1854 to volunteer to help wounded soldiers who were fighting in the Crimean War (1853 -1856), but she wasn't allowed. So she raised the money herself and travelled to the Crimea to look after British soldiers who had been injured. She became a hero just like Florence Nightingale and in 2016, a statue of her was built outside St Thomas' Hospital in London.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Malorie Blackman She is the best-selling author of the Noughts & Crosses series and was chosen to become the eighth Children's Laureate – the first black person to take on the role. She got the job in 2013. Malorie says she wanted to "make reading irresistible" for children, by encouraging them to explore a range of literature, from short stories to graphic novels.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Zadie Smith Born in London in 1975 Zadie is a world famous novelist and critic. If you go into a book shop, you would be very likely to spot one of Zadie Smith's books on the shelves. She is an extremely successful author, having published her first book at the age of just 24. Her books, which are inspired by her experience of issues around race and what society is like, have received many prizes. She has also written essays and short stories, and now teaches at New York university.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Queen Nzinga Born in 1583 she later ruled the Ndongo and Matamba kingdoms in what is known as Angola today. She demonstrated an aptitude for defusing political crises. Nzinga fought for the freedom and stature of her kingdoms against the Portuguese who were trying to colonise her lands. Today, she is remembered in Angola for her intelligence, her political and diplomatic wisdom, as well as her brilliant military tactics.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Krotoa In 1662 Krotoa became the first indigenous Southern African to be baptised a Christian. She was a member of the Khoikhoi people of Southern Africa who lived in what is known as Cape Town today. Her people were overcome by the Dutch, Portuguese and English colonialists and made into slaves as Cape Town became one of the most important parts of the European controlled empire of Africa. She acted as an ambassador for her people to the colonialists.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Mansa Musa was the ruler of the kingdom of Mali between 1312 and 1337. He was a rich and powerful king but also very generous and a committed Muslim. We know quite a lot about him due to Arab and European travellers writing a lot about him in their travel journals. One called Al-Umari once wrote ‘When Mansa Musa reached Cairo he spread his generosity throughout the city. There was no person, no official of the sultan who did not receive a sum of gold from him. ’

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Tenkamenin ruled Ghana in the middle of the 11 th century. He was considered the people's King and Ghana reached great heights during his short reign, often being referred to as the 'Land of Gold’. His people were one of the first to create iron and other metal tools in West Africa. It is believed the King would ride his horse out each day among his people and listen to any grievances they had. He listened to his people and provided justice for all of them.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Congo today is split into two countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. Not much is written on it’s early history but we know a lot from Portuguese travellers in the 15 th Century who wrote about a highly developed state rich in ivory, copper, ironware, raffia cloth and pottery. Britain’s attempt to colonise Congo in the 19 th Century led to the infamous ‘scramble for Africa’ which led eventually to the mass colonisation of almost the entire continent by European nations.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Haille Selassie was the emperor of Ethiopia between 1930 and 1974. He ensured that Ethiopia remained the only African nation never to be controlled by foreign powers and was a hero to the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica who saw him as a Messiah and took his regal name – Ras Tafari – as their own. His reign was not without controversy but he remains one of the most famous African leaders in history.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Sundiata – Lion King Sundiata was the first king of the empire of Mali. His people called him, “the lion king of Mali” because of his strength and courage. As a child he had a disability that meant he struggled to walk but he was able to overcome this and grew into a respected leader and emperor proving that nothing needs hold you back if you are determined and resilient.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Shaka Zulu Born in 1787, Shaka was one of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa. He was a fearsome warrior and expert military strategist but was also ruthless and responsible for a chain of events that led to the deaths of thousands of people throughout South Africa. Nonetheless he has become a worldwide symbol of power and strength.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Septimus Severus Also known as Severus, was Roman emperor from 193 to 211 AD. He was born in Leptis Magna in the Roman province of Carthage (modern Libya). In 208 he travelled to Britain, strengthening Hadrian's Wall. He also invaded Scotland but he fell fatally ill of an infectious disease, in late 210. He died in early 211 at York. He was succeeded by his sons, thus founding the Severan dynasty - the last of the Roman Empire before its fall began.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month The Queen of Sheba was one of the most powerful women in history. She is called Makeda in Ethiopia and Bilqis in the Koran. She ruled over Ethiopia and Yemen (Saba or Sheba) and controlled the Red Sea, a great trade route. Evidence of her tomb and the obelisks (statues) indicate that the Queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian. Sheba is mentioned in the Bible due to her association with King Solomon whom she met several times and established trade links with.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month John Sentamu was born into Uganda's Buffalo clan in 1949. Encouraged by English missionaries and teachers, he graduated in law from University in Kampala and practised Law both at the Bar and at the Bench before he came to the UK in 1974. In the UK he studied theology at Cambridge University and began his ascent into the Church of England installed as the 97 th Archbishop of York in 2005: Britain’s first black Archbishop.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Diane Abbott is a British politician serving as the Labour Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987. She was the country's first black woman MP and is the longest serving black MP in the House of Commons. Her parents were immigrants from Jamaica and she was born in England. She studied at Cambridge University and became Shadow Home Secretary in 2016. She is a tireless campaigner for social justice and equal rights.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Great Zimbabwe This complex of ruins, built in the 1100 s, covers 1, 800 acres of land, making it the largest in Africa. It was built by Bantuspeaking people related to the modern-day Shona, whose wealth derived from cattle. The first Europeans could not believe that the giant walls with their curved grace and mortar-less construction were built by native peoples. It is a remarkable architectural achievement and evidence of an advanced African civilisation in medieval times.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Walter Tull He was one of English football's first black players and the British Army's first ever black officer to command white troops. Tull was an orphan who had to overcome adversity all of his life, including being racially abused while a pioneering forward for Tottenham Hotspur. Second Lieutenant Walter Tull died while engaged in combat near Arras in Northern France in 1918, close to the end of the First World War. He was 29. He was remembered for his "gallantry and coolness“ in battle.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Barack Obama became the 44 th president of the United States in 2009 and served until 2017. He was the first African American to be elected to the presidency. Africans first went to America as captured slaves so his appointment was a hugely significant one, especially as the POTUS is often regarded as the highest political position in the world.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Joseph Cinqué was a West African man of the Mende people (from present day Sierra Leone) who led a revolt of many Africans on the Spanish slave ship, La Amistad. He had been sold into slavery in 1839 but took over the ship during the middle passage stage of the journey. He was eventually freed along with his fellow rebels and returned to Africa. The incident also sparked the abolition of the slave trade in the Americas and was made into a celebrated movie in 1997.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Agoji The warrior women of Wakanda are fictional but the fighting females of Agoji from Benin are fact! They were known as the Dahomey Amazons – an all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey in the presentday Republic of Benin which lasted until the end of the 19 th century. They were so named by Western observers and historians due to their similarity to the mythical Amazons of ancient Anatolia and the Black Sea.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month The Benin Bronzes are a group of more than a thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now modern-day Nigeria. This piece depicts a king (Oba) with four attendants. The king wears a high beaded choker, a multirow necklace, beaded cap with feather and pendants, arm and foot rings, a wrapper, and a belt-and hip decoration with a mask.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Jamaica The Jamaican national motto - ‘Out of Many One People’ is based on it’s multi-racial roots. The indigenous population of Jamaica were the Ciboney, Arawak and Taino people who were almost completely wiped out by European travellers in the 15 th – 17 th centuries. They were Amerindians or Polynesians, themselves, originally from the Americas. Most Jamaicans today are descended from West Africans who were kidnapped and taken to the island to be slaves on plantations before gaining independence in 1962.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month Empire Windrush In June 1948 the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex carrying hundreds of people from the Caribbean. They had been invited to Britain to stay, live and work as part of the re-building of the nation following the chaos and damage to society of the Second World War. The passengers were all members of the British Empire and so felt they were coming to the ‘Mother Country. ’ Britain has always been a country of different people; from the Celts, Saxons, Normans, Vikings right up to Asians, Africans and Europeans.

Black History Month October 2019 Every Month What do you know about your history? Black History Month is every month. We should always try to find out more about our own history whether we are from Britain, Ireland, Turkey, Bulgaria or Timbuktu (which is in Mali by the way)!!! So what do you know about your history? As Bob Marley once sang ‘if you know your history, then you would know where you coming from. ’ Be inspired and find out more about your origins and your people.