Black History Month- My Thoughts…

As an immigrant, my feelings about Black History Month are complicated. I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of black people throughout history but what’s the point of this if the people celebrating black history overlook and discriminate against black people on a daily basis?

I remember telling my professor that growing up in Nigeria, we were not taught about black people and their history so I was shocked to find out that in Canada there is a whole month set aside to honor the legacy of people that look like me. He thought it was weird but the way I see it is, I was Nigerian first and I didn’t identify as ‘black’ until I came to Canada, and even then, I didn’t know what it meant to be black.

In my country, I lived in ignorance, yes, light-skin girls were usually considered more beautiful, rich people had more access to resources and we treated white people like kings. I didn’t think getting a job in Canada will be determined by how complicated my name looked or that I have to write an English exam even though English is my first language. Unfortunately, that’s what it means to be black, and an immigrant- my new identity.

5 years later I can tell you that being black is not easy and, I think we deserve more than a month. Don’t get me wrong, celebrating how far we’ve come is important but as a society, we need to be more cognizant of the harsh realities of black people amongst us. More importantly, I think black people need to support each other because that’s how we grow as a community.

Personally, I have decided to focus on the solution and not the problem. This means buying black, supporting black people around me, and doing my best to give back to my community.

So what are you doing to contribute to the solution and not the problem?

I believe that together, we can make a difference!