Black History and the Struggle for Justice

Abstract

In the United Kingdom, Black History Month (BHM) occurs in October. This short talk—an example of the author’s work as a public intellectual—was given at the launch of BHM in Wales in 2013. It begins by suggesting that Black history is (a) scholarship, (b) a form of cultural politics and cultural democracy, (c) a mode of vindication and counter-narrative, and (d) celebration. After warning that some practices of Black history have negative consequences, the talk briefly compares the origins and development of BHM in the United States and the United Kingdom. The concluding section discusses the question: “Why does Black history matter?”