Africa does have a glorious past.

It was George Orwell, the famous English journalist and writer whose real name was George Arthur Blair (1903-50), born in India, died in the UK, who said: "He who controls the past, controls the future. He who controls the future, controls the present." Africa's past has been controlled by non-Africans, who, for obvious reasons, including the control of the written word, have been loathe to tell the true story of Africa's glorious past and how its sons and daughters, both at home and in the diaspora, have immensely contributed to world civilisation.

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Because we have had no control of our past, we have no control of our future. And so, as the Orwellian theory goes, we have no control of our present. This is why, in 1986-87, a group of concerned pan-Africanists in the UK found it worthwhile to institute Black History Month as a celebration of Africa's glorious past. It was to act as an inspiration for people of African descent (both at home and in the diaspora) who had been told for centuries by Western historians that their ancestors had contributed nothing to world civilisation.

As the late African-American writer and historian, Dr John Henrik Clarke, put it: "If we are to change tomorrow, we are going to have to look back in order to look forward. We will have to look back with some courage, warm our hands on the revolutionary fires of those who came before us and understand that we have within ourselves, nationally and internationally, the ability to regain what we have lost and to build a new humanity for ourselves first and foremost, and for the whole world ultimately. To do this, we must extend the concept of pan-Africanism beyond its original base to a concept of a world union of all African people, the African in Africa, the African in the Caribbean, the African in South America, the African in the Pacific Islands, and specifically, the African throughout the world who has yet to realise that he or she is African too."

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Over the last 17 years, Black History Month UK has gained in momentum and has become a major fixture on the calendar of UK government institutions, local councils and museums. In London, the Greater London Authority (GLA), headed by the unflappable Ken Livingstone, the city mayor, has taken it to heart as a duck takes to water. Last year, the GLA's Black History Month's activities were inspiring and well attended, and they promise to better it this year.

In March 1986, Ken Livingstone introduced the launch of a Black History Month precursor cultural event at the Royal Albert Hall, London, with these memorable words: "In order to further enrich the cultural diversity of the Greater London area, it is imperative that Londoners know more about African influences on medieval and renaissance European music and more about the roots of Greek music so that accepted ideas about European music history is changed. Despite the significant role the African has played in world civilisation, since the beginning of time, Africa's contributions have been omitted or distorted in most history books. Africans were in the courts of Europe when European music was being developed. One such great African who influenced English classical music was Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780) ... Africans have influenced Europeans from early times not only in the field of music but also in art. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African Art in Washington DC in its 'Comparative Gallery' visually demonstrated the fact that Picasso copied the style of the Itunba Region [of Congo], Bernard Heilger copied pre-dynastic Egyptian art. Henri Laurens was influenced by the Dogons [of Mali], Max Ernst studied the art of the Senufo [of Cote d'Ivoire and Mali], Paul Klee copied the style of the Bakota [of Gabon] and so did Amedeo Modigliani copy Congolese art. The list is long."

This is for those who think Africa has contributed nothing to world civilisation. Now, after 17 years of Black History Month UK, it is time to take stock and learn from the successes and failures. It is also time for the celebrations to be recognised by the mother continent in a big way, a continent where, sadly, the teaching of African history has been truly abysmal.

This year, New African has chosen to go to the source of Black History Month UK, to the man who started it all. Interestingly, you couldn't meet a quieter man. Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a Ghanaian living in the UK, worked at the defunct Greater London Council (GLC) as a coordinator of special projects when he started Black History Month in 1986-87. Interestingly, again, the GLC, then as now (with just a minor name change), was headed by the same Ken Livingstone. (See interview on p30). We wish all our readers a happy Black History Month.