Black History Month: Home

I would have been amazed
If I had been around
In the days of the great African Empires

And I would have been shocked
If I had lived in the days of slavery
And see people suffer

And I am outraged
Because we haven’t moved on
as much as we should have done
because we haven’t acknowledged
the work that Africans have done

What black history month means to me
Is that it shows us what we rather should be
A presence conditioned by a history
that’s black and white but mostly black
And more, and beyond,
and colourful, and beautiful
a history that will no longer be painful
as we long to be at last
free at last
no more pain but celebration
one day
we are going to have that celebration

and every black history month
we have those dreams
that point towards the future
that we are working for

the time when we can talk
and dream, and speak, and show, and
attempt to celebrate sometimes
is mostly in October
for us on this island in the rain
rather than one of those
warm, welcoming and wonderful
islands in the sun

what is beautiful about October
is that it is at the start of the academic year
so when we start learning
we start with black history
that’s our starting point:
Africa
That’s why black history month is in October

So that we remember
That Africa is the beginning
Of all that we have
It’s reconnecting us
Over and over and over again
To the meaning of life
And the reason for what we have
If we could only see
If we could only recognise

To see this, to recognise this
This is the task of black history month
To show, to learn and to know
What Africa means to the world
Where it has taken us
What Africans mean to the world
How beautiful black is
And how beautiful and important the contributions are
By those on the first continent
And by those of the Caribbean
and everywhere in the Diaspora
and how African they are
and how they believe in humanity
and unity of all on earth
and despite that bad experience
work for justice and reconciliation
those efforts of one love, liberation and unity

So this is the task of black history month
To show, to learn and to know
To see and to recognise
What Africa means to the world
What Africans everywhere
mean to the world
how Africa is our beginning
and starting point
point and continent of reference
and reason for all that we have
and how we all can be One
if we only acknowledge
Africa.