October is officially Black Achievement Month in the Netherlands. It’s an opportunity for people across the country to consider and expand their knowledge of black history, and to celebrate the distinctive contributions of people of color to society in particular. The goal is to celebrate diversity while combating racism, discrimination, and intolerance.
It’s especially important in Europe given the role that many European countries had in colonization and the global slave trade, the long history of people of color living in Europe, and the enduring racial disparities across the continent.
The original and very first Black History Month was celebrated in the US. It is unclear when Black History Month was first celebrated in Europe. Most likely, it was in the UK in October 1987 when Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo organized a set of lectures that would ultimately start an annual celebration of the contributions of Africa, Africans and people of color to world civilization from antiquity to the present.
Today, the practice of celebrating black history and achievement has become somewhat more popular in Europe. Black History Month has some exciting events pop up around Europe, also in the Netherlands, for people from all ages to expand their knowledge of history and achievements of people of color (POC).
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Black History Month is celebrated in October. It’s called Black Achievement Month and is used as a chance for highlighting POC culture. Events across theatre, dance, readings, and cinema are organized to celebrate the POC community and their influence on Dutch culture. Black Achievement Month isn’t just limited to the Netherlands, with events also taking place in Suriname, an independent state that was once part of the Netherlands, and Curaçao, a member of the country’s dependencies.
Germany
The second European country to officially celebrate a Black History Month was Germany. The occasion was first observed in Berlin in 1990.
Ireland
Also celebrating Black History Month in October is the Republic of Ireland. First celebrated in Cork in 2010, the location was particularly apt given Cork was a leading hub of the abolition movement in the 19th century.
Belgium
In Belgium, Black History Month is held in March. Started by the student association African Youth Organisation in 2017, the event has been organized by a non-profit Our Stories Uncensored since 2019. The month is spent with multiple events celebrating POC history across the cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Schaerbeek, Vilvoorde, Mechelen and Limburg.
United Kingdom
October is officially Black History Month in the UK. Loads of exciting events pop up around the country, from food festivals in London, to music workshops and lectures in schools.
But aside from some scattered events held informally, that’s pretty much it for Black History Months across Europe. It’s a less than ideal situation given the contribution and presence of people of color throughout European culture and history.
But, in my view at least, Black History Month is more than an opportunity to promote a film or book or song of a person of color. It is important opportunity for addressing and changing historic attitudes. Whilst I’m sure many more recent reports exist, I was particularly struck by the ENAR report of 2014-18 which found multiple examples of racist stereotypes persisting in Europe.
A chief example that is just a few months away from showing up again is the Dutch ‘Zwarte Piet’ tradition. In the Christmas season, many Dutch people dress in blackface to portray this character. Many people in the Netherlands argue that the character is a tradition not directly associated with people of color. But many Dutch people and POC community however recognize the black Moorish origin of the character and the impact on racist stereotypes the character provokes.
In Germany, a debate in 2013 erupted over the use of the N-word in a children’s book. It was removed from children’s syllabuses, but the report noted that “a lot of racist stereotypes, especially when it comes to black people in the curriculum”.
This is a shame given the role that many European countries had in colonization and the global slave trade, the long history of people of color living in Europe, and the enduring racial disparities across the continent. From an educational perspective specifically, and despite the foregoing, adequate history of people of color, or at least perspective, is still lacking from school and university syllabuses. This is often referred to as institutional racism.
While those measures to address institutional racism have been most proactively taken in the US, Europe is lagging behind in recognizing the histories of people of color across the continent.
I was born and raised in Namibia. Until I was 5 years old, Namibia (then still called South-West Africa) was still under the South African rule and therefore under the apartheid-regime. Since Namibia’s independence in March 1990, much has changed, including the fall of apartheid, free and fair elections, one common language (English), changes to school curricula, and much more. But a lot also remained the same. After moving to Europe in 2008, I noticed that while racism was far less apparent here than back home, black people here still (and just like at home) faced a kind of double burden (if I could call it that) of experiencing racism and discrimination, and then also being expected to fix it.
As a white man with my entire upbringing, experiences, and history rooted in Africa, I am often conflicted by what this all means, and what I can do to bring about positive change. And so I find myself thinking, does Black History Month really have to start and end with the telling the story of people of color and celebrating their achievements? Or can actually be a deeper reflection of liberation and struggle and what that has given the world? If one can do that, it can be a really nice way to say that the history and achievements of people of color should be part of the fabric of learning throughout the year; i.e. the community.
Next year (2024), University College Roosevelt will be celebrating our 20th birthday. It will be a year of celebration, of looking back, but hopefully also looking forward. Wouldn’t it be great if we could use such a remarkable moment for our college as a moment for change; action, not just words, and come together as a college community to make a change for the better?
Perhaps this would be easier said that done. But I believe that we can bring about positive change as a community. And so, as we enter Black History/Achievement Month here and in the rest of Europe, I invite the entire college (students, faculty and staff) to look critically at yourself, your role and position, your influence and your character. And then, let’s come together and work towards a stronger, better informed and more inclusive future for UCR.