MONDE NDLOVU: What SA can learn from International Black Women's History Month

We are told that history can repeat itself if lessons cannot be learned by the next generation.

History can also be understood as “his story”, meaning that what is being narrated has been moulded by some people who have a specific perspective or agenda in viewing the past.

History can also seek to highlight key achievements and milestones of a people, or exclusively focus on the failures and bad behaviours that end up shaping a people with a negative outlook of themselves, which is then passed down to the next generation.

An argument can therefore be made that history should be viewed as the passing down of generational ideas that aim to drive and propel a particular people forward into a brighter future.

Black History Month came about as an idea to preserve and celebrate the contribution of black people in the United States. With its roots from the early 20th century, when black historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which later became the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Woodson launched a week-long celebration that later grew to become a month-long reflection of the contributions made by black people.

International Black Women’s History Month came about as a by-product of Black History Month. The need to pause and reflect on the contributions of black people in general created a void over time in how black women were being celebrated for holding up the sky.

This celebration was founded by Sha Battle, who has been raising thorny issues around the double challenge black women face in society - firstly by being black, and secondly by being women.

Since 2016, April was officially dubbed International Black Women's History Month in Atlanta in the US, and the goal of this celebration is for it to spread across the globe.

Part of the initiative is to produce material that can be used to educate people about the significant contribution of black women, not just in the US, but also in the world.

This part of “his story” is the development of “her story” globally, the latter being the added-on concept of telling history from a black women’s perspective, and allowing black women to tell their own stories through their own lenses.

One might always be tempted to ask why the need to prefix history with “black”, or “women”?

Firstly, black contextualises the experiences of black people and their persistent contribution to the development of the United States and resistance to suppression.

Black people are a people deserving of praise globally for their contribution to the development of the world. Black people have endured and continue to endure the other side of progress, with a few having broken the walls of socio-economic resistance.

Secondly, the plight of women has not been sufficiently unearthed and studied, notably how black women have experienced both racism and gender discrimination. Being black and a woman makes you more vulnerable, and at the same time, these black women who deserve to be celebrated have immensely contributed to the black struggle and society at large.

Black History Month and International Black Women's History Month need to be celebrated and studied more around the world generally, and South Africa in particular.

Amongst many achievements by black people and black women, “Black Wall Street”, and Maggie Lena Walker, who was the first black woman to found a bank in 1903, need to be taken note of.

“Black Wall Street” was a community of black people in the US who galvanised and mobilised the community on the key tenets of socio-economic development, after buying the land in 1905. They sharpened the thinking of the community, by ensuring that all institutions driving the community were owned, controlled, and managed by black people.

From building schools to other key businesses, this approach ensured that the money flow remained within the community for longer.

Ms Walker was a trailblazing black woman who showed great commitment to advancing black people, fighting civil rights violations, and reflecting an enterprising spirit of commerce in the community.

Both these examples stand as a bold statement of the talent that exists among black people to develop their communities. What is also strikingly clear is how they managed to accomplish the great feat in an era characterised by hostility, racism, and few to no economic opportunities for blacks in the country.

These two stories reflect sheer intellect and resilience, stories that black people can indeed be proud of. What remains therefore, is how black people today can learn from these stories and begin to build communities and women leadership around these principles.

Black communities in South Africa do have institutions in their communities, however, both the efficiency and effectiveness of the money flow is not yet sophisticated to a point where it remains in the community for at least a few years.

Black communities in this country have untapped potential to become financial hubs of their own, hence the movement of key businesses finding space in townships to operate, such as malls, where some of the major banks will have presence.

The retail industry has also made major inroads into the townships and taking business to the people. One must add that business that has made its way to our people still does not look like the people, yet it finds a place amongst us.

The Gauteng Township Development Act is a step in the right direction, and its implementation must be seen to be working for the people and women in creating generational value.

There needs to be a more focused effort in creating more banking institutions in townships and rural areas that are also owned and controlled by women. Banking is the key to the economy; it is the spine of all other industries, and if it is not seen to be reflecting the people, it will not have their best interests at heart.

Black people in South Africa remain an economic minority despite being in the majority demographically. The untapped potential amongst black people and women in South Africa should concern all of us.

In South Africa, we should celebrate the month of February as Transformation Month, and April as Charlotte Maxeke Month. February should be used to reflect and celebrate the contributions made by black people in commerce, science and technology, academia, civil society, and other spaces, and April should commemorate black women and their valuable contribution to society, academia, business, and politics.

These months should invoke a sense of pride and hope in both the deeds and ideas shaped by black founders and black women across the board.

And these ideas should be taught in schools, and supported by business, civil society and government. These two months can be the months of ideas, and how we can build on them for future generations.

Whilst men have shown leadership in the world, women have fed the world. The one who feeds has more power to shape and change the course of history, and so, black women ought to be respected and given space to show the world how leadership can be done their way, which will benefit society, and not just a few.

Women have a unique role to play in demonstrating how their qualities can be harnessed to shape our continent, country, and the world.