There can be a tendency to focus on telling traumatic stories during UK Black History Month. We seem to find it easier to talk about pain and anger than Black excellence. This applies across different sectors including education, the film industry and in sports.
This year’s official theme for UK Black History Month, which runs throughout October, is “reclaiming narratives”. That means Black people taking ownership of their stories and ensuring they are not misrepresented.
In the summer, anti-discrimination group Kick It Out wrote an open letter to the media following England’s 1-0 defeat by Iceland at Wembley. An image of Bukayo Saka was used prominently after the game, even though he was not on the pitch when England conceded as he only came on in the 65th minute. A Black player was effectively held up as the face of England’s misfortune, forcing media outlets to confront whether they had fallen foul of unconscious bias.
People will understandably feel upset that Nuno Espirito Santo and Darren Moore are the only Black managers at the 92 clubs across England’s top four…
