Issue of the Issue Black History Month

Mia Mbalisike

Many Black people celebrate Black History Month, but what does that even mean?

What is Black History Month and why do we need it?

Black History Month (BHM) is a month to elevate Black history. Society often ignores Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in many aspects, one of them being history Oftentimes BIPOC are not only overlooked, but it is actively avoided to give them attention, though when that attention is finally granted it just highlights negativity and suffering. History and/or heritage months are used to highlight these different groups of people in a positive way, and in February it’s Black people’s time to shine Black people are a group that is greatly oppressed all over the world and anti-Blackness is a deep rooted hate that is taught from a young age on This can happen through simple little remarks about certain stereotypes, like the perfectly normal emotions of a black girl being called aggressive, or outright statin that dark skin, coily hair, and othe black features are ‘weird’, or ‘ugly’, ‘bad’. Underlining the various grea things that Black people have ach over time, despite the many hurdl are put in their way, is important t deconstruct that. Of course some suffering and issues are also addre n order to spread information whi the attention is on them for once, their rich history and supporting t is the focus

How can you support Black people?

There's many different ways to be an ally for a marginalized group of people.

You could educate yourself on the history of Black inventions, buy from Black owned businesses, or support Black people by giving them a platform. All of these will likely be heavily appreciated, but most important is for you to confront your inner racist bias

Most Black people will be delighted for anyone to confront and deconstruct the racism within themselves. Having a non-Black person that is self aware about their anti-Blackness and makes an effort to change their way of thinking is far more approachable than someone who is only a performative activist and gets defensive as soon as they are called out for their own harmful behaviors Instead, listen to what Black people have to say. If they have complaints about your behavior being anti-black, then you might want to check yourself.

If you really don't want to be racist then don’t be afraid to listen to the voice you're allegedly trying to uplift, just hear them out and think about it

Remember that BHM is not the only time you should support Black people. Yes, BHM is used especially for this, but every other month does not give you a free pass to undo it all

Don’t be an performative activist who only cares about minorities while they are “relevant”, just use BHM to give extra love to the Black people around you.

Afro Germans that deserve your attention

When thinking about black people one knows, only celebrities are ever brought up, so here are three examples of wonderful black people that deserve more acknowledgement.

Malonda

Achan Malonda the Afro-German singer and ‘Elektrik Diva’, next to her music career she is an activist who advocates for inclusive feminism, anti-racism, and anti-sexism. She cares about women holding together in all art forms, including music, as well as wanting Women of Color to be able to be more represented in the world of art. If you enjoy dance or electronic music then feel free to listen to her songs such as “Deutschungshoheit”,“Erzähl mir nichts”, or her latest release “Hedy Lamarr”.

Marylyn Addo

The infectologist, internist, and researcher, Marylyn Addo, is a professor at the Universitätsklinikum HamburgEppendorf. Her field of expertise includes new and unknown infections, as well as the research behind vaccines for viruses, such as the Ebola-virus, SARS-virus, and MERS-virus. In 2020 she was given the German Medical Award for her research about SARS-CoV-2, making her the German medic of the year.

Dr. Natasha A. Kelly

Being a communication scientist, author, and politician is a lot of work that Dr. Natasha A. Kelly is known for. Being the former federal chairman of the HipHop party, Die Urbane, for a couple of months, she has made her entry into the world of politics. Next to that she has written various books, her newest release being “Schwarz. Deutsch. Weiblich.: Warum Feminismus mehr als Geschlechtergerechtigkeit fordern muss”. She talks about her experiences as a black woman and shares valuable insights.