‘BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN BELGIUM? Part 2’

Black History Month was made an official celebration in the United States in 1976, originating from the Negro History Week of the early  20th century, and is now an annual celebration of the history of the African Diaspora in the US. Today this event is organized in various formats in several cities across the world (in the UK, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, …). Should there be a Black History Month in Belgium? Why and how could it be organized?

A collective reflection on the creation of such an initiative in Belgium is proposed by Pitcho and several Brussels activists, in collaboration with BOZAR and Piano Fabriek. To launch the topic, two debates are proposed during the Congolisation and Afropolitan  festivals in February 2018. After the first debate held at Piano Fabriek, (the stakes, objectives and organization for a Black History Month in belgium), BOZAR hosts the second debate:

What are the lessons of  existing Black History Months ? 

Four activists and intellectuals are invited to debate the results and lessons from some of the world editions of Black History Month . With Linda Bellos (co founder of the BHM in the UK, political activist), Quinsy Gario (Performative artist, activist - Black Achievement Month's Black Excellence Award in 2016,  Amsterdam - TBC), Cynthia Tocny (Black History Month, Paris), Tunde Adefioye (playwright, KVS – USA/Brussels). Moderator: Omar Ba (Historian, acticvist, journalist, Antwerp)