Initially when I was first taught about black history in school during black history month, I thought it was cool, I thought it was great to see black history being taught. That said, school was not to teach me about black history as I had my parents being born of Caribbean descent. My Dad in particular had always taught me about our rich culture, history and even a little bit about his being a Rastafarian which completely opened my eyes as I was grew up to believe that there was only one real religion which I thought was catholic. This came to be as a result of my earlier education taking place in Catholic schools, something my Mum moved heaven and ears to get both my brother and I to attend as it was known back then that all Catholic schools were good schools which instilled discipline.
Now why I understand the reason behind black history month, now that I have grown and matured more from my earlier school days, I have come to believe that black history month should not be necessary. Why is black history not taught in mainstream education in general? I mean it is not as though you have any of type of ethnic race history month and I think the teaching of history has moved on so much more over the years. Just look at how much of history we were originally taught to now find out that a lot of it was actually inaccurate from religion to who first discovered America. I mean how can you claim you are the first to discover a country when there were already an ethnic race living there? Anyways before I digress, black history has had a significant and profound relevance into how we live in today's society. Just look at the influences of black history and black culture in music, dance, food and much, much more and don't get me started with regards to inventions that have been born from numerous black inventors of the years.
Bottom line we should be taught black history through the curriculum like Wales have deiced to do as of September 2022, they will have black history which will be taught throughout the curriculum so come on England and the rest of the UK, in fact I would go as far as to say including America who also have a black history that we don't need one. Just teach history as it was, in all it's glory which means the good and the bad, after all, how else are we as the human race going to learn from some of the mistakes of the past if schools are going to continue to sugar coat it or dare I say it whitewash it and maybe then will we have a chance to eradicate racism in society because you are not born a racist, that is a behaviour which is taught.
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