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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kenneth Mohammed

‘The four centuries of slave trade shaped the spectre of racism and are woven into the fabric of global development’

The inside lid of a rococo tortoiseshell snuff box (1730-1760) at the Black Atlantic exhibition shows a black servant serving a white mistress
‘A hierarchy of inferiority or superiority’: the inside lid of a rococo tortoiseshell snuff box (1730-1760) at the Black Atlantic exhibition. Photograph: Amy Jugg/The Fitzwilliam Museum, Image Library

Gone and forgotten until it comes around again next October, Black History Month is challenging for those who argue that a people’s history should not be confined to a mere four weeks. Genuine comprehension of history fosters an appreciation for the crucial principles of equality, diversity and inclusivity. All are pivotal in cultivating peace within our societies, and their absence manifests in racism. But racism isn’t limited to a specific month.

Racism encompasses prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against others based on their racial or ethnic affiliation, typically targeting minorities or marginalised groups. It stems from the belief in distinct characteristics, abilities or qualities attributed to different races, often to establish a hierarchy of inferiority or superiority.

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