Puja Das, contributor
Featured image courtesy of Tatiana Prisiajny
Black History Month is a month-long celebration of African contributions and history in Canada, United States, and United Kingdom.
Contrary to popular belief, not all the countries celebrate Black History Month in the same month. In Canada, it is celebrated in February, with grand events and exhibitions to pay their tribute to Africans in populous cities, such as Toronto.
The Canadian Negro Women’s Association was the first to begin celebrating Black History Month in Toronto. Afterwards, the Ontario Black History Society initiated to celebrate this special day for the Africans.
As Canadians, we celebrate by appreciating how and what African-Canadians have contributed to Toronto in education, medicine, culture, public service, politics, among others.
In contrast, the United Kingdom celebrates Black History Month in October to appreciate Africans’ contributions. United Kingdom welcomes this special occasion by planning various kinds of events around every corner of the country.
Even though the black communities initiated to organize events for this special day, other organizations also plan grand events. The events include storytelling, theatrical, and comedy performances which pay tribute to the African people’s hard work.
One reason for the October celebrations is that October marks the beginning of the school year in the United Kingdom. As such, school children would be more alert or interested to learn about African history. This was the country’s strategy to have students learn about African history.
However, none of the countries celebrate Black History Month as grand as in the United States. In America, Black History Month started as Negro History Week which was first celebrated in 1926, around the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, a former slave and eminent human rights leader in the abolition movement.
Seeing how Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom celebrate Black History Month proves that racism is gradually eroding. By paying tribute to all Africans around the world, these countries are showing signs of acceptance of the African culture and heritage .
These countries have been a great example to future generations about acknowledging a culture’s contributions and hard work.
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