Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in the month of February. The remembrance originated in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson as "Negro History Week".
In the United Kingdom (UK), Black History Month is celebrated in October. Various guides are printed detailing listings of Black History Month events held throughout the UK. The largest of these guides, ROOTS, will this year be distributed prior to and at the Black History Festival. Taking place between October 9-11 2009 on Potters Field Park, alongside City Hall and Tower Bridge, the The Black History Festival will be the highlight of Black History Month celebrations in the Capital, and the biggest event of its kind ever held in the UK. Roots also contains in-depth interviews and editorial features on topical diversity and equality issues. The Official Guide to Black History Month, published by Sugar Media, Ltd., produced 100,000 copies nationwide in 2008. Indications are that it will not be published in 2009 through lack of funding.
Black History Month sparks an annual debate about the continued usefulness and fairness of a designated month dedicated to the history of one race. Critical op-ed pieces have appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer [4] and USA Today. [5]
Some African JESTINE radical/nationalist groups, including the Nation of Islam, have criticized Black History Month. Some critics, including Morgan Freeman, contend that Black History Month is irrelevant because it has degenerated into a shallow ritual,[6] and say that it serves to undermine the contention that black history is American history. (wikipedia)
In my view, history is not just some archetypical event of the past. And so too neither should be BLACK HISTORY. It must continue to be relevant, or it will be forgotton. 'HISTORY' is being made TODAY. We see that in the wave of events that we are experiencing in this our lifetime. From a black man in the Whitehouse to good news in the form of 'Milestone' in the ongoing battle for a cure for AIDS. We must look not only to the events of a 100 years ago; not only to those dates and battles taught to us in class; but also we must pay careful attention to the work being done all around us. And not only by people in the news either. How many brave firemen fought to save lives this year? Or doctors battle disease on a daily basis? Or good mothers fight to raise their children on their own? Important people surround us. We need only to open our eyes.
This year I'll be marking the event with a series of commercial art posters. Images of both my own personal history and family side by side new, hopefully iconic images I'll be photographing over the course of this month. Take this journey with me as I discover during this month:
MY OWN BLACK HISTORY.
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