Black History Month: a global necessity

 As the spotlight is often leaving other nations in the shadows whenever discussions around Black History Month events and celebrations are trending, many are just beginning to realize that the need for Black History Month isn't limited to the U.S. and U.K. alone.

Gabrielle Privat; chairwoman of the tiny nonprofit organization CNR Martinique; has been one of these late comers in spite of having been made aware of the existence of such a concept in the mid 2000s by her daughter who had just returned from the U.K. On the French Caribbean island, the CNR, which has been at the heart of reparations advocacy for the past ten years, has been hosting a two-day event in an attempt to bring Black History Month to this Caribbean territory.

 The 2024 edition is set to take place in the Pierre Aliker stadium of Fort-de-France February 17 and 18 from 8:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will showcase a variety of things tied to African history, heritage and culture like african and afro-caribbean music or art, table talks on topics affecting descendants of Africans to this day, exhibitions highlighting important black figures from all over the world... 

The need is real but in the face of limited funds and manpower, the CNR has only been able to materialize a limited Martinican version of Black History month in a format that includes this in-person event and a few informative social media posts here and there on the topic of Black History. 

In the span of the last 3 decades, Black History Month has turned into a profitable business opportunity for many, regardless of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. At community level, it may look like the following goods and services being in higher demand:

● "Traditionally black" hairstyles and makeup designs

● Black History or Black History Month merch made by black artists and small businesses, those might include stickers, mugs, print-on-demand apparel, custom decor items... 

● Black History teaching materials available for purchase (or sometimes for free) made by black educators from various countries

● African clothing and accessories made and/or sold by black artisans and/or businesses 

A global approach to Black History Month means one can hope to learn about black leaders and trail blazers who are seldom included in their national iteration of this yearly moment of self-reparation in spite of how their legacy may still be affecting our lives. A shared opportunity for learning and earning, as a community.

Children as well as adults of african descent have a lot to gain from getting access to Black History materials from the entire diaspora, not just from the perspective of African-Americans and Afro-Britons. With the combined help of dedicated professionals and ever evolving IT, the language barriers are becoming less of an obstacle to those willing to learn more about our shared heritage in order to keep growing individually and collectively.