Black History Month in the UK is almost here again. It's a time of year where many around the UK will shift focus to talk about, illuminate and play the music of Black folks from around the world who have made us dance, think, cry, laugh and marvel over the past 500 years.
It is also a time of year where various think pieces will be commissioned in a binary - to either extoll the celebratory nature of Black History Month, or condemn it as an exercise in tokenism. Wherever you sit on the spectrum, in 2024, Black History Month is going ahead, and importantly, many young people will encounter the music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Esperanza Spalding, Stormzy or Ezra Collective, potentially for the very first time. This is importan for many different reasons, especially given the proximity of the far right riots in August 2024. What this post is concerned with however, is the treatment of the music of the Black diaspora - a celebratory activity which necessarily avoids present-day realities, can be beholden to North-American hegemony and subscribe to a particular model of Black excellence.
Present-day realities
Thinking specifically about music, we can point to various studies and research which look at the realities of contemporary Black music making in the UK. This 2021 report from the BBC offers an overview of research undertaken by Black Lives in Music called 'Being Black in the Music Industry'. Another report entitled 'Unseen, Unheard' published by Black Lives in Music in 2023, looks at experiences of Black and Disabled people in the music industry. With data which shows that Black musicians were earning £299 a month less than white colleagues, and 60% of participants having experienced racism in the industry, the celebratory nature of Black music during October can often mask these realities.
While this data may or may not be appropriate for certain levels of education, knowledge of this can provide educators with more context with which to talk to students about.
This can be turned into a positive - rather than doom and gloom, this data can encourage students to see how they can be part of solving the problem. If racism is a societal issue (and it is), young people must be made aware of the microkindnessess and impacts that they can have if/when they enter into music, or music adjacent industries. By helping students to understand that the enjoyment of music doesn't come without current ongoing struggle or hardships, new and greater appreciation can be found, and celebrated. It is a balance between celebrating history, learning about the contemporary issues/barriers and understanding the personal and societal responsibility to ensure that history is not repeated, as well as how to create better environments for Black music industry professionals*.
North-American hegemony
For various reasons, the music of Black North Americans often takes centerstage during Black History Month in the UK. If we shifted focus away from North America for a moment, we open ourselves up to experiencing the music and musicians from across the diapsora. Thinking about representing children who may have heritage in Somalia, Grenada or Zimbabwe for example, means encountering musics which we may not understand, lyrically, sonically and musically. While the impact of sonic Black America cannot and should not be ignored, helping us to understand the music of the people who make the UK their home is an exercise in facing our own realities, including the colonial and imperial legacies which have impacted global migration.
The recent Beyond the Bassline exhibition at the British Library (which is sadly over) shone a light on the music of Black Brits, and other Black folks who made Britain their home (even for a short while). In our current political climate of issues around immigration, 'Britishness' and foreign policy, an inward look at how we process life and music in the UK can only help the next generation understand their own place and space.
Models of Black excellence
We often focus on those Black folks who are very well known. Musicians such as Stormzy or RAYE are world famous, but there will of course be folks who have never heard their music, let alone young people who could benefit from learning more about the people behind the music. Even historical figures such as Chevalier de Saint George may never become household names like some of his contemporaries (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart et al.), but have had movies and books written about them. The same in sport, politics or literature, with bestselling authors, England internationals or cabinet ministers adorning walls and having classrooms named after them. And for good reason - the work put in to acheive what they have deserves to be celebrated.
I often wonder about those who may not have won awards, featured on the covers of magazines or represented their country(s) at the highest level. Those who will never headline the Proms, but manage those artists' schedules, riders and PR. Those who will never win a Mercury Prize, but who run the weekly jam sessions where certain artists honed their crafts. Those who will never headline Glastonbury, but support their families through songwriting, vocal workshops or teaching. These people are just as important, and can help to discourage latent ideas of the self-made artist as well as helping us to understand the spectrum that is 'success'. Without the label of 'unsung heroes', perhaps celebrating these folks in ones local community can be an enlightening way of understanding how we can ignore 'unpopular' histories.
Moving beyond the playlist takes a degree of courage and introspection, engagement with issues affecting Black folks in the UK and research. This Black History Month, let's engage with lists and stories of amazing achievements and captivating sound. Let's also remember that history does not exist in a vacuum, and some of your colleagues, friends, loved ones and family members live, create and struggle outside of October's yellow, red and green colour palette.
*Remembering that this is Black History Month, not everyone's history month.
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