Black History Month Ireland, why?

Kewreeuss · 24-10-2021 12:43am

My first reaction was why on earth do we need a Black month, we’re not a Black Country, we don’t have a history of black suppression, we had enough of our own problems to be going on with, black people were way off our radar.

But because we are a predominantly white country, or have been from the year dot until about 30 years ago, a black history month would not be a bad idea. We would learn about Leopold and what he did to the Congolese people, why Africa was carved up into neat little squared of countries, ignoring that the territory was tribal, why South America is full of people of African descent, why Jamaica is too. We would learn that powerful tribes sold weaker tribes to Europeans. We might find out about new gullible African countries being taken advantage of by USA and European countries since the sixties. Why there is so much poverty, so much corruption, why Africa is repeating our mistakes. That there are diverse peoples in Africa, South Africans are not the same as Nigerians who are not the same as Angolans. There is so much we do not know and it would be interesting to find out more.

But, if they are going to be Black USA centric, talk about police brutality, and how black female actors don’t get as much work as white actors or how only black girls can wear cornrows, and isn’t Obama great and half a dozen teenagers want their history taught in Irish schools, well then no, I’m not interested. Not interested in pandering to the latest whim just because someone thinks it’s the right thing to do and we’ll get a gold star.

joebloggs32 · 24-10-2021 1:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064865#Comment_118064865

Nail. Hammer. Head.

AllForIt · 24-10-2021 1:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064539#Comment_118064539

Black history month has nothing to do with making them feel welcome, of course.

It's about giving them an opportunity to spread their Critical Race Theory bullcrap.

https://twitter.com/rte/status/1448663408253947921

What reaction could one have to that except laugh out loud. Let them go ahead and make fools of themselves if that's what they want.

Oranage2 · 24-10-2021 1:23am

We don't even like 1 orange day and now we're having a whole black month

John Doe1 · 24-10-2021 2:01am

Its pretty odd alright, think I saw the first black person in my town in Donegal in 2001/2 maybe? And the first black people into Ireland were what the Nigerian students in Trinity/College of Surgeons in the 60's? That is barely enough of a timespan to count as "History"

A certain minority in the country are absolutely obsessed with American media and mixed with a serious lack of knowledge of the history of their own country, this is the result.

Quantum Erasure · 24-10-2021 3:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064926#Comment_118064926

how 'bout the 12th of July...

remember that time we held a parade for them..

24-10-2021 3:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064752#Comment_118064752

How the fúck does it make someone feel more welcome if you keep referring to them as "them" and putting a spotlight on how they're different?

You vitamin-D deficient clowns put everyone in boxes and patronise the shlte out of them like they're a new pet believing you're doing them a favour.

The fact it even exists means Asian people are normal Irish but black people never will be. That's the result of your attempts at inclusion.

Still stihl waters 3 · 24-10-2021 8:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064752#Comment_118064752

Absolutely no harm at all but the inference from people such as yourself that if we don't make them feel welcome ergo they will feel unwelcome, let them like it or not but anyone coming to Ireland to earn their keep are welcome in my eyes, but I won't be getting the red carpet out for anyone, cead mile failte and all that jazz but unless contributing something positive to irish society then everything should be done to make them feel like there's no place for them here

24-10-2021 8:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064724#Comment_118064724

No silly.

Raise awareness that they are different because of their skin colour. But while you raise the awareness and focus on the skin colour making them completely different, admonish people for treating them different because of their skin colour.

So to sum up..... Have a complete focus on the fact that their skin colour is different but don't treat the different because of it.

But focus on the skin colour.

But don't.

Still stihl waters 3 · 24-10-2021 8:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065102#Comment_118065102

Like the same, but different

samesame1.jpg

24-10-2021 8:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064865#Comment_118064865

We need a middle eastern or asian history month as the persians, chinese and indian civilisations, after the mediteranean basin civilisations , have had a greater influence than all of Africa. Honourable exception to the likes of Mansa Musa though

24-10-2021 10:06am

I just find this so completely absurd. Living in Asia has taught me it's incredibly annoying for your skin colour or nationality to be a constant thing you're reminded of.

Where I work, there is a staff room for local people, and a staff room for foreigners. They used to be together and it was great. Now with it split, it's a constant reminder that I'm segregated away because of who I am. Literally a different floor. It's non-stop every single day. Even though I can speak the language pretty well, people don't expect it so they try to listen for English initially and don't even hear you speak their own language. You walk into a shop and you can hear the staff say to each other oh shlt I can't speak English and start trying to work out who has the best chance of understanding me. I choose this life and can leave it whenever I want so it's not a big deal, but you never ever feel like you belong.

It really makes sense that America is so split when everything is about your race and heritage. No one is just American. It's hammered into everyone every single day that if your great grandparents came over from Ireland say in 1890, you're Irish American. If you're black, you're African American. But what if you're Caribbean and don't want to be called African American? What if you just want to be called American and not have your "experience" defined by your ancestors? Why on Earth Ireland is adopting this toxic horseshlt is completely beyond me. There is not one positive that comes from applying unnecessary adjectives to a person.

"Make them feel more welcome." is what 50-year-old Irish parents say the first year they get some Spanish students over to stay during the summer. They're children.. We better help them out. That's fine. But it's straight-up condescending fukery to do it to adults or entire races of people as if they have no agency of their own.

If you want to make people feel welcome, you treat them like everyone else. I go to the same small shops where people know me, speak to me in Vietnamese, and don't make a fuss when I go in. It allows me to get my groceries without feeling like an outsider, or like my skin colour matters. Same if I want to go for beers. We go to places that treat us like we're human beings and not exotic animals. I'm a human being. I'm not a white human being.

Black history month for a race of people which has had frankly no impact on Irish history is a mockery. We have had no impact on their histories either. We have co-existed on this planet without raping and pillaging either other and that should be enough.

Montage of Feck · 24-10-2021 10:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065011#Comment_118065011

White mans burden for the 21st century.

Wibbs · 24-10-2021 10:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065011#Comment_118065011

It's because the Right on and racists have one thing in common; they're both absolutely bloody obsessed with skin colour and a heirarchy of attention within that. One looks at them with mistrust, even hate, the other looks on them with patronising eyes. And both look down on them. "Black" is top of the exoticism tree. The squeeky wheel that gets the most grease. Even the terms "multicultural" and "diversity" essentially mean "Black" in majority White western nations. If all of those with an African background left Ireland tomorrow we'd still be a "multicultural" nation. There are four times more Polish people living in Ireland than Africans from all backgrounds of that huge continent and we'll never hear calls for Polish history month Ireland. There are more Luthuanians, Germans, British, Spanish, French, Romanians and South Asians too. There are double the number of East Asians. None of them will get their "history month" or attention.

Donald Trump · 24-10-2021 11:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064562#Comment_118064562

That's alright. Plenty of people don't follow the news or know what is going on. There is a good website for Irish news called https://www.rte.ie/ . If you look at that you will learn about some of what is going on currently in the country.

If you scroll down the front page of that site, you will see that they have a dedicated section highlighting "Black History Month". They don't have a lot of stories, but they are collated on a subpage here https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/black-history-month/ . Even though they don't have a huge amount of stories, that front page bit has been there for at least a couple of weeks and I presume it will stay there for a while longer so you can find and access it easily at your leisure.

Mad_maxx · 24-10-2021 11:30am

I suspect most black people here have little interest in this kind of identity politics parade

24-10-2021 11:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065319#Comment_118065319

And if Vietnamese TV were showing a few programs about Irish people in Vietnam over the last 30 years of so, would you be against that also?

gormdubhgorm · 24-10-2021 11:45am

I agree with the OP it is bollixology. As if somehow Ireland is the 51st state. I watched this one basically mentioned Fredrick Douglass visit and tied him to Daniel O’Connell.

https://youtu.be/CkJ0zOYgRO4

But again it had little to do with Irish history. More Ireland trying to claim American history vicariously IMO.

Throw a ‘black’ in front of history and it ticks a box- as well. It does seem very bandwagony and out of place for history in Ireland. Is the Black prefix necessary? I already knew about Douglass as it was just history- simple as that.

Obama referenced Douglass in 2011 as well again creating the narrative of that link. In reality Douglass was a fella passing through doing a tour. No different to someone stopping in Athlone on the way to Galway.

Also to note Ireland is one of the few European countries to now have an official ‘black history month’. Make of that what you will.

malinheader · 24-10-2021 11:46am

Totally nonsense, what next changing street names like some other countries. Wouldn't surprise me if this is next on our country agenda.

24-10-2021 11:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065591#Comment_118065591

Well in the context of this thread, it wouldn't be about Irish people; It would be about white people. They already have museums documenting that, and frankly, I'd prefer to not be associated with agent orange just because I happen to be white.

24-10-2021 11:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065529#Comment_118065529

So you're telling me I have to go searching for information about Black History Month and when I arrive at my destination there's little there?

I rest my case.

gormdubhgorm · 24-10-2021 11:58am

If it makes money and brings the Yanks in - what harm ? I assume that is the real logic?

(American) Indian history month is the one I am looking forwards to.

MarkEadie · 24-10-2021 11:59am

Eh most people don't really give these things too much consideration. We all have friends from other countries at this point, be they black, white or otherwise. At the very least everyone in the country will have had some pleasant interactions with people of other races throughout their lives. Black History Month Ireland - why not. It's kind of interesting I suppose. The only people who kick up a fuss about these kinds of things are people who already have problems with immigration or black people in general really. I think these things are aimed at annoying these people lol.

Yellow_Fern · 24-10-2021 12:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065591#Comment_118065591

Celebrating Afro-Irish figures i sall good. Phil Lynott has been recognised with a statue for 16 years now. I dont understand the presentation as Afro Irish history as somehow forgotten or neglected history, or as Ireland's hidden history. I did more digging into history months and there is indeed a Irish history month in US, and an Asian history month, but they are not exported. I appreciate such history months are less important as such minorities didnt have as tough a time but that history of injustice doesnt apply here.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118063941#Comment_118063941

As someone who has spent a lot of time in Africa, for a long time I argued African /black isnt a ethnicity. I think the idea is really retrogressive. In Ireland with 'black people'we are talking about Irish people/ or Afro-Irish, depending on personal preference.

Donald Trump · 24-10-2021 12:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065657#Comment_118065657

Well it depends what you consider as constitute "have to go searching". It is right there smack bang on the front page of the National Broadcaster website landing page and has been for a few weeks. It was originally smack bang the top of the page but has been moved down over time. If one had visited that site for general news over the past few weeks they they would have seen it.

I think they gave up the practice of having the town crier deliver messages to people in person a while back.

24-10-2021 12:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065637#Comment_118065637

I've been in some of those museums, I didn't feel like I was associated with agent orange, not did anyone make me feel that way. Maybe you're getting paranoid.......

VillageIdiot71 · 24-10-2021 12:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064148#Comment_118064148

I suspect the narrative around US figures is because the Irish narrative is hard to express in any kind of attractive manner.

Imagine your narrative is your parents came here, made a fake asylum application which they withdrew on your birth because this meant you were now an Irish citizen and they were unlikely to be deported, and you’ve been here ever since. And the Constitution had to be changed to stop this happening, causing problems for the Good Friday Agreement.

If your origins are that awkward, of course you’ll drown it in BS.

paul71 · 24-10-2021 12:20pm

I would have little to no interest in the subject. The fact that RTE will dedicate a month to it niether concerns, interests or bothers me. What dose concern is why some people would be bothered by it.

24-10-2021 12:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065749#Comment_118065749

You're so so close.

You understand that you're not associated with agent orange and America because of your skin colour, but are happy to put all black people in a basket to make them feel welcome.

Just one more step and you're there. Those museums you've been in didn't say "White people did this."

24-10-2021 12:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065765#Comment_118065765

I'm not putting anyone in any baskets?

somebody in RTE has decided to show a number of programs about black people. Some people (of any.colour) may be interested in watching those programs, other people may not. There are a number of black people living in irish society now, I don't believe anyone thinks they are all the same, anymore then all white people are the same.

There are programs about Irish people, does that mean all Irish people are the same? Obviously not.

People in Ireland may be interested in watching programs about non native people who have either had influence here or have chosen to make their lives here.

maybe we should wait to see what the programs are about before we decide that RTE are patronizing all black people, eh?

AllForIt · 24-10-2021 1:55pm

As a supplement to BHM a cork based NGO have launched a campaign that targets racism in the GBT+ community. That's not a typo by the way, it's not targeted at women. I opened a thread about it in the lgbt forum but didn't get much attention. https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118059395#Comment_118059395

I've laid out my objections to it the thread but just to say here I find it grossly insulting and highly objectionable. I'm intend to go to my local TD and complain about it, something I've never done, on the basic that this is a total waste of public money as it's funded by the Department of Equality & Integration.

Galwayguy35 · 24-10-2021 2:12pm

You could count on one hand the number of black people in Ireland before the late 90s when the anchor baby loophole in the system was exploited until it was shut down in 04.

A programme about well known black Irish like Phil Lynott or Paul McGrath would be interesting and as a license payer I'd certainly watch it but this Black history Month is nothing but nonscense.

Pussyhands · 24-10-2021 2:30pm

Any article about Pamela Uba is "first black woman to win Miss Ireland". For all the talk of not judging or treating people differently based on skin colour, Pamela is just seen as a black woman in every article I have seen. I'm chatting to this black girl who's new to ireland and she basically said what many of us think, that they're just giving black people token prizes so they are seen as equal. It's not organic at all.

Faugheen · 24-10-2021 2:40pm

Some people here really don't like black people.

Oppose any bit of attention or recognition they get even though it literally has zero impact on their lives.

MarkEadie · 24-10-2021 2:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066254#Comment_118066254

Essentially that's what it comes down to.

CrabRevolution · 24-10-2021 3:02pm

A lot of RTÉs staff take their cues from America. Their content is either seen through an American lens or they'll try to reshape American content to an "Irish" angle no matter how tenuous.

A great example of this was earlier this year when the mental health of sportspeople was in the news. A worthy topic for coverage on RTÉ and also not like we have a shortage of Irish people with stories of their mental health, or tragic examples regarding Irish sportspeople (Darren Sutherland and Ryan McBride spring to mind).

No need for those on RTÉ however, because the article was only inspired by and referenced people like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles. As far as RTÉ were concerned the mental health of sportspeople wasn't worth discussing when it was only Irish people affected, but once American news started covering it, it was apparently something Irish people needed to start thinking about.

24-10-2021 3:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065738#Comment_118065738

The way you're carrying on you'd swear the town crier was still about and had replaced the cock-a-doodle-doo of the morning rooster with a morning reminder it was still Black History Month.

Donald Trump · 24-10-2021 3:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066419#Comment_118066419

No. Simply pointing out that anyone who had looked at rte.ie at any stage over the past few weeks would have seem it plastered on the front page.

Wibbs · 24-10-2021 3:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066254#Comment_118066254

The general procedure when discussing anything to do with such multicultural matters is to a) claim there's nothing to see here, b) it's racism to even look.

This Black history month in an Irish context is tokenism of the highest order more aimed at White people than Black in many ways(with a few it's a way to feel more holier than thou. The church may be gone, the crawthumpers never left). The history of Black people in this country is absolutely tiny to the point of being nearly nonexistent and the numbers of Black people themselves living here was equally tiny until the mid 90's. Even so and this seems to come as a shock to both the Right On and the Right wing, they're still a tiny minority of people living here today. Just over one percent.

Take Nigerian folks who would be the largest African diaspora here as an example; there are double the number of Spaniards living here. Double the number of French. Double the number of German. Six times the number of Lithuanians, twenty times the number of Poles. None of whom seem to be exotic enough to warrant attention or a month of their own. But let's go beyond the pale of face. There are a third more Chinese, double the number of Indians and not a peep from the various vested interest NGO's about them. You might get a sniff of it around Chinese new year, but that's about your lot.

I agree any history month will have pretty much zero impact on my life and I suspect 99% of people's lives regardless of their background. I object to the tokenism, much of it born of White saviour mentality and the varous vested interests, NGO, politicos and even race baiters. That kind of tokenism doesn't seem to have done much good elsewhere has it? But again we seem hellbent on repeating the mistakes of others.

Tony EH · 24-10-2021 3:57pm

There isn't enough "black history" in Ireland to fill a half an hour, never mind a month.

24-10-2021 4:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066497#Comment_118066497

So, in your opinion what duration of time must have passed in order for us to call it history?

And how many people of any ethnicity must there be in order for someone to make TV programs about them?

Wibbs · 24-10-2021 4:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066554#Comment_118066554

As usual avoid the points raised like the very plague.

History? OK pre the mid to late 90's there were literally a handful of Black folks in the country and naturally an even smaller number of anything approaching "historical" note. A couple of sports and music stars. That was it. And we've had documentaries on guys like Phil Lynott, well before the increase in numbers in the country. As was pointed out the lad has a statue dedicated to him and a plaque on his gaff. Paul McGrath was another and there were insights into his troubles with alcohol with TV and his autobiography. A couple of segments on Nationwide would have covered most of the rest of it. Since the 90's there was a jump in numbers here, but I suspect an actual documentary with the negatives included among the positives wouldn't exactly pass muster with the right on.

And it's got feck all to do with how many of an ethnicity are involved. When one of the smallest groups of the world disapora living here are being feted with a month it's far more about blatant tokenism. Never mind it's just lazily aping American style multicultural tropes and we know how well America does on race relations.

24-10-2021 4:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118065703#Comment_118065703

I would consider phil lynott fully irish in culture and upbringing. Literally the only thing African was his skin tone

MarkEadie · 24-10-2021 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066892#Comment_118066892

Absolutely. Same with Paul McGrath and so on. As Irish as me as far as I'm concerned.

Our mindset on this really scares most of the anti-black posters.

AllForIt · 24-10-2021 5:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066254#Comment_118066254

This doesn't make any sense. It's essentially about racism, not a 'celebration of black culture'. We (naive white people) are supposed to observe it. It's for white people so we can be 'educated'. It's supposed to have impact on 'us'. So the idea that we white people should just ignore it and let them get on with it is ridiculous.

Still stihl waters 3 · 24-10-2021 6:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118066254#Comment_118066254

Recognition for what, being black? They're either here to work and live like the locals or they're actually Irish, being black doesn't give anyone special status.