From African to Black.

From African to Black - a powerful colour, but one that has a number of negative connotations. Where did labelling people by their skin colour originate? As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once said, "I didn't know I was Black until I went to America." We can extend this sentiment to much of the Western world.

The U.K. census uses simplified categories like Asian, Black, White, Mixed, and Other, but why did we shift from terms like African and Caucasian? The transition from ‘Caucasian’ to ‘White,’ a term often associated with purity and peace, and from ‘African’ to ‘Black,’ a word historically linked to fear and negativity, raises important questions.

In language and culture, black is often linked to things that are undesirable or harmful, such as darkness, evil, danger, or death. Phrases like ‘black sheep,’ ‘blacklist,’ ‘black magic,’ and ‘blackmail’ all carry negative meanings. This association has contributed to harmful stereotypes for people of African ancestry, often without us even realising it.

This raises a question, how does the language we use to describe people affect the way we perceive and treat them? Words/labels hold immense power, they carry weight; they are like spells, carrying a force that can influence and shape us all.

Growing up, I was often called "Ebony." It’s a word that highlights the beauty of dark skin, emphasising its richness, but what also stayed with me were the words and expressions that made it clear that some people weren’t as comfortable with my darker shade. This discomfort isn’t unique to the West. Globally, darker skin tones are often looked down upon. You only need to look at the caste system in India to see how deep this bias runs.

It’s one thing to hear compliments, but it’s another to feel the unspoken rejection tied to something as inherent as your skin tone. These experiences shaped my views on colour, beauty, and belonging, and it’s a conversation we need to continue to have more openly, especially since I see this same issue impacting younger generations today.

There are times I wish I could go back to when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had the opportunity to challenge these labels. Every year, as Black History Month approaches, I revisit a speech he gave, where he emphasised the importance of embracing the label ‘Black’ with pride. He wanted us to say, "Yes, I’m Black, and I’m proud of it. I’m Black and beautiful."

Dr. King was a strong advocate for the dignity of African Americans and fought against the shame often tied to Black identity. I first discovered this message during the Black Lives Matter protests, and it resonated deeply with me. His words, from a 1967 speech, still hold power today:

“I come here tonight to plead with you, believe in yourself and believe that you are somebody… If the Negro is to be free, he must move down into the inner resources of his own soul and sign with a pen and ink of self-assertive manhood, his own emancipation proclamation… Don’t let anybody take your manhood, be proud of our heritage as somebody said tonight, we don’t have anything to be ashamed of. Somebody told a lie one day, they couched it in language, they made everything black, ugly and evil. Look in your dictionaries and see the synonyms of the word ‘black’—it’s always something degrading and low and sinister. Look at the word ‘white’—it’s always something pure, high, clean. Well, I want to get the language right tonight! I want to get the language so right that everyone here will cry out, Yes, I’m Black, I’m proud of it, I’m Black and I’m beautiful!”

Over time, I came to appreciate my dark skin, comparing it to the richness of dark chocolat or coffee, things that are valued for their depth and complexity.

This Black History Month, I hope you find inspiration in these words, discover the excellence of Black men and women globally, and support Black-owned businesses. There are many to choose from!