Charlie Sloth

Charlie Sloth

On Air Now 16:00 – 17:45

Radio 1

Why do we represent Black History Month?

Willber Willberforce, 1Xtra's Deputy Head Of Programmes, explains why we represent Black History Month.

"1Xtra celebrates black history month as it's an intrinsic part of our musical heritage."

"We could call it just history month, but it's more than that. It's about forgotten heroes and stories that we never get told at school. We are taught more about the Battle of Waterloo at school than the relevance of Dr Martin Luther King. We hope this month goes some way to fill in the gaps.

Black History Month is about those who made a difference not purely because of the colour of their skin, but their actions. From William Wilberforce (my name sake) to Eminem to Dizzie Rascal they are all a part of history and ultimately our Black Music legacy."

Origins of Black History Month

Black History Month (BHM) is held every October in Britain. The aims are to:

  • Promote knowledge of black history and experience
  • Circulate information on positive Black contributions to British Society
  • Heighten the confidence and awareness of Black people in their cultural heritage.

The origins of BHM go back to 1926 when Carter G Woodson, editor for 30 years of the Journal of Negro History, established African Caribbean celebrations in America. It is still celebrated there in February each year.

Akyaaba Addai Sebbo is viewed as the person who set up Black History Month in Britain. Akyaaba worked for the Greater London Council (GLC) and worked with them to establish the event in 1987.

Reproduced with kind permission of Black-history-month.co.uk

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