Happy British Black History Month!

The month of October is full of celebrations and festivities from across the globe,  with some of the most famous being Diwali and Halloween. Amongst all these celebrations there is one element of October that is often overlooked...British Black History month. It is an often occurrence that when we look at Black History we think of legendary pioneers such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and events such as slavery and the American Civil Rights Movement. While these events are a significant part of black history, they are not the entirety of Black history and doesn’t represent the Black British experience.  

British Black history month was created in 1987 to shed light to the black British experience. It is in October to contrast American Black History month in February. Black history is important to me because it is a part of my heritage but as a British black woman it explains my reality in the UK. In the spirit of British Black history month I wanted my first post to be on my top five favourite black writers and poets.

1. Malorie Blackman 

I was first introduced to Malorie Blackman’s work at the age of ten reading her famous Noughts and Crosses series. Having sneakily taken it from my mum's book shelf I can admit now that the series was way too mature for my age, however, it was my first real understanding on racism and discrimination. The series was in The Guardians Top 100 novels in the 21st Century and even went on to being adapted into a television series by the BBC. Although the series brings up some difficult topics it is an easy read and deserves a spot on everyone’s bookshelf.

2. Benjamin Zephaniah. 

Born in raised in Birmingham to Caribbean parents, his dub poetry challenges every element of empire, colonialism, and classism. As both a poet and author he provides literary pieces for all ages on a variety of topics from veganism to activism. I saw Zephaniah perform two years ago and his story and the way he interacts with readers and audiences still inspires me to this day. His music, poetry, and interviews can be found on streaming services and on YouTube.

3. Bernadine Evaristo

Evaristo is undoubtedly my favourite author for 2020. Her Booker Prize winning novel Girl, Woman, Other not only formed the foundation to my final year project at university, but also touched my heart. Looking at the lives of women of colour through generations, her novel shows the layers and complexities of being a black woman from the Windrush era to the present day. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy  this novel, it reminded me of my love for reading outside of having to read for my degree. 

4. Linton Kwesi-Johnson

Here we have another sensational poet that specialises in activism and social critique. Kwesi-Johnson was a member of the British Black Panther party and has fought for equal rights in Britain since the 1960s. His poetry is highly political and detail events such as police brutality and the 1980 Brixton riots so he is the perfect example of literature portraying life. I enjoy his works as they give me an insight to the Britain that my relatives have experienced, from the 60s up until the 90s. Where most accounts of systematic racism were not documented by the police, pieces like Sonny’s Lettah provide insight to the lives of the victims of SUS (stopped under suspicion) laws and how the government only took action after social unrest. 

5. Andrea Levy

Andrea Levy was the author of Small Island which is a novel on the lives of both the migrants and the home population from the Windrush era. The novel provides readers different views on Caribbean migration both positive and negative with an in-depth analysis on what the problems were during this time. Levy was born in London to Jamaican parents and lived in a working class community, the same way some of her characters lived in her novels. Alongside the exploration of racial, cultural, and national identity, her works also show how racial inequality and class inequalities relate to one another. Levy died in February 2019 from struggles with breast cancer and left not only her magnificent work but a legacy which will be seen for generations.

All of the writers that I have written about in this article I have used in my studies and have heavily influenced my knowledge and personal perspective on race in the UK. They are all sensational writers and performers and are a good starting point to looking at issues of race in the UK. 

Thank you for reading my first post and happy British Black History Month!

Stay safe,

Miah