I do wonder if Carter G Woodson realised the beast he was creating in 1926? Yes, Black History Month rolls around once again and with it is likely to come the rehashed and reinvigorated debate on whether it is broad enough, in-depth enough and who runs it.
There will be some excellent offerings, mostly formulated and hosted by grassroots organisations, and there will also be the not-so-good events and the downright lazy. And there will be calls for more permanency of African history in our museums.
A worthwhile mapping project would be to see how many museums and galleries integrate the African story - whether that be African British, African Caribbean or continental African - into their narrative.
I am talking less about how the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has integrated single objects, or paintings relating to the African British experience into its British Galleries to draw out a particular part of a story.
I have in mind more of a Horniman Museum model where there is a gallery - one that is given prominence in the museum. The museum often boasts its place as the first permanent gallery on African art and culture in the UK.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum Cosford has a permanent exhibition on the African contribution to the airforce. I am yet to make a visit to explore it but after a fruitless website search, an inquiry to the museum revealed that Diversity in the RAF exhibition is "6 or 7 panels" within one of the hangars. And there was a worrying message from the receptionist that this was "for the black community".
But at least there is some effort in the right direction. Where is the effort from the Science Museum that has a wealth of history, scientists and inventors to choose from?
Every October it puts on a schools-focused programme - but there is every reason to feed that into the existing exhibitions or better still to create a gallery to deliver a more balanced picture of scientific contribution to visitors.
Perhaps that is in its £100m Museum of the Future plan...
There will be some excellent offerings, mostly formulated and hosted by grassroots organisations, and there will also be the not-so-good events and the downright lazy. And there will be calls for more permanency of African history in our museums.
A worthwhile mapping project would be to see how many museums and galleries integrate the African story - whether that be African British, African Caribbean or continental African - into their narrative.
I am talking less about how the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has integrated single objects, or paintings relating to the African British experience into its British Galleries to draw out a particular part of a story.
I have in mind more of a Horniman Museum model where there is a gallery - one that is given prominence in the museum. The museum often boasts its place as the first permanent gallery on African art and culture in the UK.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum Cosford has a permanent exhibition on the African contribution to the airforce. I am yet to make a visit to explore it but after a fruitless website search, an inquiry to the museum revealed that Diversity in the RAF exhibition is "6 or 7 panels" within one of the hangars. And there was a worrying message from the receptionist that this was "for the black community".
But at least there is some effort in the right direction. Where is the effort from the Science Museum that has a wealth of history, scientists and inventors to choose from?
Every October it puts on a schools-focused programme - but there is every reason to feed that into the existing exhibitions or better still to create a gallery to deliver a more balanced picture of scientific contribution to visitors.
Perhaps that is in its £100m Museum of the Future plan...
