October is Black History Month in the UK; the US and Canada celebrate it in February. The occasion is a time to remember significant people and events in the history of Africa and its diaspora. The event can be a valuable catalyst, sparking or renewing year-round interest in history. After all, it is through telling and retelling our histories we come to know and value ourselves and each other.
As a child of African heritage attending school in Liverpool, UK, during the 1980s, I learned nothing about Black history or the broader story of Africa even though I learnt about the Roman empire, the Venerable Bede, the battle of Hastings, the Tudors and Stuarts. Africa, however, was a deafening silence, an untold story. Fortunately, my favourite teacher, Mr Gurnham, also taught me that learning is lifelong and can be pursued beyond the school walls.
My connection to Black history became an extracurricular activity, a topic of much independent study. Conveniently, I lived near a book shop, Source Books, that specialised in the history of Africa and its diaspora. The shelves were stocked with titles such as The African Origin of Civilisation: Myth or Reality by the Senegalese historian and anthropologist Cheikh Anta Diop. I also got my hands on the writings of Ivan van Sertima, professor of Africana Studies at Rutgers University. With fascination, I read many of Van Sertima's works: The Golden Age of the Moor, African Presence in Early Europe and Black Women in Antiquity.
Psychologists have become increasingly aware of how critical social identities are for our health and well-being
Being immersed in these histories introduced me to impressive Africans, for example, Abul-Hasan Ali Ibn Nafi, also known as Ziryab, meaning blackbird. Ziryab was a celebrated polymath (chemist, linguist, astronomer, geographer, poet and master musician) at the 9th century Umayyad court of Abd ar-Rahman II in Cordoba. I was also introduced to the story of Mansa Musa, a contender for the wealthiest man in human history, and more contemporary notables such as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X). Beyond individuals, my reading also awakened me to the historical and cultural significance of African Kingdoms such as Timbuktu (Mali) and Benin (Nigeria). I laugh now, but as a young child, I thought Timbuktu was an imaginary land like Narnia or Mordor.
History is vitally important. It goes way beyond the dry academics of knowing facts and dates. The repeated telling of our stories strengthens social identities and our sense of belonging to valued social groups. Such knowledge is deeply enriching. It keeps us well and helps us flourish.
In recent decades, psychologists have become increasingly aware of how critical social identities are for our health and well-being. For example, Alexander Haslam, a professor of psychology renowned for his work on social identity, writes: "Social identities — and the notions of 'us-ness' that they embody and help create—are central to health and well-being."
A rapidly growing body of research demonstrates how a deeper sense of belonging to a valued social group (national, ethnic, religious etc) leads to better health outcomes across a broad range of complainants, including depression, heart disease and stroke. The evidence supporting the "belonging effect" is now so strong that psychologists are currently discussing a "Social Cure". This is the idea that strengthening social identity accelerates recovery, promotes resilience and reduces rates of illness reoccurrence or relapse.
The prevalence of mental health problems among Black people in the UK is higher than that of other groups. For example, the UK Government's 2017 Race Disparity Audit reported that Black women were the group most likely to have experienced a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression. Similarly, Black men in the UK were the group most likely to have experienced a psychotic disorder – 10 times more likely than white men. Black people are also at least four times more likely to be detained under the mental health act (kept in hospital, whether they like it or not) than their white counterparts. Similar data exist for Black people in other European countries and the US.
Many social factors contribute to elevated mental health problems in the UK's Black communities. Leading contenders include elevated rates of deprivation (a lack of money, resources and access to life opportunities) and victimisation experiences (bullying, discriminatory harassment, social exclusion). These are issues that must be addressed across the board if we hope to reduce the rate of mental health problems. However, in addition to meaningful/ethical social change, strengthening social identities can also improve our mental health and resilience.
Black History Month can be a catalyst, launching individuals on lifelong voyages of historical discovery and rediscovery. History is storytelling, and storytelling is psychotherapeutic. With October being Black History Month and October 10 marked as World Mental Health Day, this is a time to remind people that it is worth reflecting on history's critical role in promoting and preserving psychological well-being of all people.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets