Founder of UK Black History Month 'wants Buckingham Palace to host celebration'
Watching Black History Month become a national event has been a "remarkable" experience for its UK founder - but he hopes one day to see it being celebrated in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
Born in Ghana, 73-year-old Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is widely and rightly celebrated as the father of Black History Month in Britain.
With the help of his colleagues and friends from across his community, he overcame perilous circumstances to push for greater recognition of the nation's diverse African and Caribbean communities, and lay the foundations for a month that highlights often-overlooked parts of Black history in the UK and far beyond.
Akyaaba Addai-Sebo at the African Jubilee Year 1987-1988 launch event (Armet Francis)The early part of Akyaaba’s adult life was defined by a period of avid study in the US and trade union work back in his home country, but he came to the UK back in 1984 after fleeing persecution in terrifying circumstances. Pursued by a “death squad” under Jerry Rawlings' regime in Ghana for his outspoken political activism, he was declared a wanted man, escaping the country with the help of his friends in the worker’s movement.
On his arrival to Britain he found common cause with Darcus Howe’s Race Today collective, and soon after gained work at the Greater London Council (GLC), then run by Ken Livingstone. It was at the GLC that he had a life-changing conversation with a colleague that alerted him to how deep-seated issues of identity were affecting the lives of many Black people in the UK, and stirred a desire in him for change that would see him go on to establish Black History Month.
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He told the Mirror: “One day I went to work, and the group secretary was there - she was crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she said after she was putting her son to bed after prayers, her son called her back and said - ‘Mum, why can’t I be white’? She was very devastated - she had named her son after [Jamaican activist] Marcus Garvey, and here is her son having problems with his identity. She was saying that she had failed the son - and I said ‘Elizabeth, no, you have not failed your son’ - it is the national curriculum, the national educational authorities, the local authorities, the libraries, the churches, all the institutions of state that have failed your son. And they have failed every child growing up in this United Kingdom. It stirred something up in me - something had to be done.”
Soon afterwards, Akyaaba began speaking to more Black children around London's local authority schools, and was shocked to discover how hard many found it to relate to their African heritage. It took him only a couple of months of ruminating and planning before he sprung into action in his capacity as GLC special projects advisor, starting a series of lectures and concerts around London that educated people on Africa’s vital contributions to world culture.
The period from 1987-1988 was a “significant” one for Africa and Black people, he recalls, marking the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation from slavery, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Marcus Garvey, the 25th anniversary of the Organisation for African Unity, and the 30th anniversary of Ghanian independence. Looking to build awareness across communities in Britain, Akyaaba and his colleagues declared the period ‘African Jubilee Year’, a 12-month festival that kick-started Black History Month in the UK.
Akyaaba's conversations in the 1980s saw him start events celebrating Africa’s vital contributions to world culture (Armet Francis)
The African Jubilee Year included the UK's first Black History Month in October 1987, which has been celebrated ever since (Armet Francis)A milestone celebration marked the beginning of the jubilee year at Westminster Central Hall on July 31 1987, where First Lady Sally Mugabe - whose husband was "not a pariah" in international politics at the time - was among the speakers, with Linda Bellos from the London Strategic Policy Unit acting as host. Later, in October 1987, the first ever Black History Month was marked in Britain. The month has been kept at the same place in the calendar ever since. It could have been very different, however, as Akyaaba had to persuade his colleagues as to why it should be celebrated differently to the US, where it is marked in February.
He explained: “I said that, we’re doing this not because of us; it’s because of the kids, because of the children. And at what time of the year that would you collectively have the attention of the kids other than October? Because the kids will have just come out for their summer holidays, they are not saddled with exams, so their minds are fresh to learn and take instructions.
“And October is the autumn equinox, it has special significance to Africans. It is a harvest period, and it is a time conflicts are settled. It is one of stock-taking, and of renewal - that is why we chose October. We look at the state of Black Britain - in the past year, what did we do? We review what has happened, and the goals that we set. And we examine our home; the relationship between father and mother, husband and wife, and where we are with each other.” Black History Month has since gone on to become a vital movement, with a host of exhibitions, concerts, parties and stage productions taking place up and down the country over the course of the month.
Akyaaba has himself moved on from the BHM UK organisation to join vital projects on the global stage, including brokering a ceasefire between warring factions in the late 1990s Liberian civil war, peacekeeping in Sierra Leone and work during the creation of the African Union in the 21st century. More recently, he has also been involved in efforts to fight against deforestation in Ghana.
But he remains deeply attached to the movement. Speaking to the Mirror, he highlighted how Black History Month has been adopted far beyond local authority level, and is now taken on by communities, business and anyone who wishes to value the contributions of Black and African culture. His role in Black History Month's creation has also brought him some amusing episodes of recognition in his everyday life, and he recalls one moment where a new doctor at his GP surgery in London was left amazed to discover who he was - thanking him and even shouting the hallway to tell his colleagues of his discovery. "He quickly stepped out and said to the nurses - come, come, come, it's the founder of Black History month!", he recalled.
There is one place however where he’s disappointed not to have seen any celebrations yet - behind the gates of Buckingham Palace. He reflected: “During Black History Month you have the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and leaders of all political parties sending out good wishes and messages. But we have never received anything of that kind from Buckingham Palace. I worked as the operations manager at Notting Hall carnival, and during the carnival we welcomed Prince Charles. We are making preparations for Black History Month at 40, in 2027, and I hope that Buckingham Palace will come out and support what we are trying to do.”
It is, after all, a month that everyone can celebrate. As schools, homes and communities across the country explore the best ways to mark this month, Akyaaba highlighted how there has always been space for people to add their own varied contributions and lessons. "It is yours to fill it with rich content", he said, adding: "Black history is the history of humanity, Black history is the history of our commonality."
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