Black History Month: Memory, Pride, and Afrocentrism!

Black History Month is an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have left their mark on history through their courage, their ideas, and their commitment to the freedom and dignity of black people.  

At the beginning of the 20th century, the historian Carter G. Woodson fought to combat the invisibilization of the accomplishments of black people in the United States. His hard work led to the creation of an annual commemoration: Black History Month. 

Officially launched for the first time in the United States in 1976 by American President Gerald Ford, the commemoration takes place annually in February. Other countries then followed the United States, such as the United Kingdom, from 1987, and then Canada, since 1995. 

Black History Month was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in 1987 throughout October. This initiative is generally attributed to the work of Ghanaian Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and the Greater London Council. 

In France, in Martinique, it was the CNR Martinique association that timidly initiated the materialization of Black History Month from February 2, 2016, initially as a digital campaign via social networks and other electronic communication means.  

Figures who inspire generations

At Waxbazaar, a brand that celebrates its African heritage through every print, we pay tribute to several personalities who have left their mark on history on the African continent and in the diaspora:

Thomas Sankara – Revolutionary President of Burkina Faso, champion of self-sufficiency, social justice, and African emancipation.
“You can kill a man, but not ideas.”

Kimpa Vita – 17th-century Congolese prophetess, who advocated for unity and the affirmation of African identity against colonizers.

Winnie Mandela – Anti-apartheid activist, symbol of women's resilience and strength in the fight for equality.
“Together, hand in hand… we shall liberate this country.”

Kwame Nkrumah – First President of Ghana and father of Pan-Africanism.
“Socialism is necessary to restore to Africa its humanist and egalitarian social principles.”

Aimé Césaire – Poet and thinker of négritude, he restored pride and voice to black identities.
“The man of culture must be an inventor of souls.”

Zumbi dos Palmares – Figure of African slave resistance in Brazil, leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares, who became a symbol of freedom.

Patrice Lumumba – First Prime Minister of independent Congo, embodiment of dignity and sovereignty.
“Without dignity there is no freedom, without justice there is no dignity, and without independence there are no free men.”

Cheikh Anta Diop – Historian and intellectual who rehabilitated the scientific and cultural grandeur of Africa.
“Ignorance of one's people's history is a form of servitude.”

A heritage to wear with pride

These inspiring figures remind us that Black History Month is not just a commemoration, but a call to continue the fight for dignity, memory, and the future.

At Waxbazaar, we believe that history is lived and worn. Each fabric, each motif tells a story, expresses an identity, and conveys pride.

With our new Afrocentrism collection, we invite everyone to proudly wear their African and Afro-descendant heritage: a rich past, a vibrant culture, a future to build together.