Each year Black History Month is celebrated with a Theme. BHMI recognised the importance of providing a theme to focus the
attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the
exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public’s attention
important developments that merit emphasis.
For those interested in the study of identity and ideology of
Africa, an exploration of Africa-Irish Development Initiative, AIDI’s Black
History theme is itself instructive. Over the years, the themes reflect changes
in how people of African descent in the United States, United Kingdom and
Canada joined by Ireland have viewed themselves, the influence of social
movements on racial ideologies, and the aspirations of the black community. The
changes notwithstanding, the theme list reveals is an overarching continuity in
AIDI, our dedication to exploring historical issues of importance to people of
Africa descent and race relations in Ireland and Europe at large.
We involve the
active participation of members of the African community and/or People of
African Descent at all stages of the Event (planning, development, implementation
etc.), and with Black and Africa History Month we,
- Celebrate and promote African culture and
heritages.
- Promote a positive image of People of
African Descent’s socio-culture to the wider community.
- Include and invite members of the wider
community to the events.
- Make the event be accessible to an open
public audience where possible.
We chose October for reasons of tradition and reform. Zeph
selected February to encompass the birthday of great African who played a
prominent role in shaping black history in Ireland, namely, Olaudah Equiano and
Frederick Douglass. Olaudah Equiano, whose birthday is the 16th October 1745 in
Nsukka in the Igbo province in Nigeria, and the historic visit of Frederick
Douglass to Ireland in 1845, hence, he arrived Dublin on the 31st
August 1845.
In early
October, Douglass and his companions set off for stays and lectures in Cork,
Limerick, and Belfast, with briefs stops in Wexford, Waterford, and, as he
recounted, “the hill of Howth to the Giant’s Causeway, and from the Giant’s
Causeway to Cape Clear.”
More importantly, we chose them for reasons of tradition. The black
community, along with other Republicans, had been celebrating these heroes. And
since the late 1890s, black communities across the country of USA had been
celebrating Douglass’. Well aware of the pre-existing celebrations, we have
built Black History Month around traditional days of commemorating the black
past. Zeph founder of AIDI is asking the public to extend their study of black
history, not to create a new tradition. In doing so, he increased his chances
for success.