Foreword:
Diane Abbott MP

Mutual respect means that we must know each other’s history

BLACK History Month is here again. I always look forward to it. It means a range of interesting talks and events that might not otherwise happen. But some people gripe about it. And sadly some of them are even black. The usual moan is “Why a Black History Month at all?”
As someone who studied history, I can speak with some confidence about the need for Black History Month. History was always one of my favourite subjects. I got an A grade at A level. And I went on to get an honours degree in history from the prestigious Cambridge University. But at no point in my academic career, from the age of five to twenty-one, was I able to study any black history at all. As far as the English educational system in the eighties was concerned, black history did not exist. But what effect does it have on your pride and your self esteem if you are told that you have no history? And, in a multi-cultural society, how are white people supposed to respect black people if they believe that we have no history or culture that is worth studying and that we have never contributed anything? There is no doubt that religious and cultural groups that cherish their history are strengthened by it.

My knowledge of black history has come through reading widely in my spare time. I do know that nowadays there is a little more black history taught in schools than when I was a child. But it is still not enough. Black History Month fills that gap. It is important for black people. But it is even more important for white people. Mutual respect means that we must know each other’s history. Enjoy Black History Month!

Diane Abbott MP
For Hackney North and Stoke Newington

Back: Exclusive