What is Black History Month to Me?

Guest blog written by Dr. Preye Worlu , Marketing, Retail, and Tourism – Manchester Metropolitan University.

Black History Month is a chance to reflect, to appreciate, to inspire, to celebrate our rich and diverse culture, to say we are part of ‘your’ history.  A chance highlight progress but most importantly identify and think about ways that we can move forward as a society.

My heritage does not stem from slavery, my story stems from two young people who sought an adventure, perhaps mis sold the commonwealth dream of the opportunities found in a faraway land. They experienced tremendous trials and tribulations inflicted by those who saw them as the other, but they never gave up. They never gave up. So, what does Black History Month mean to me? A moment to reflect on those black pioneers, like my parents that came and struggled before me, a reminder of the endless possibilities in life, a reminder of how far society has come but equally how far society has to go.

So, as I don my role as an academic trying to navigate being the other, I just smile to myself knowing that I’m here to stay, endeavouring to break down walls that may stifle the human race.” (Dr. Preye Worlu Ph.D, MSc, BSc)

Preye Worlu received M.Sc. degree in Marketing from the University of Manchester and a Ph.D. from Alliance Manchester Business School -the University of Manchester in 2011. With over 10 years working in the private sector the field of Recruitment, Marketing and Market Research she is presently a lecturer in Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan in the department of Marketing, Retail and Tourism. Her main research interests include consumer behaviour, marketing communication in Social Media, International Marketing, Customer Insight and Care.