What started off in the United States in 1926 as “Negro History Week” to promote awareness of African-American history to the U.S. public in 1976 morphed into “Black History Month” (and some people will still celebrate it there–and in Canada–during the month of February). The UK does so during the month of October. Be that on a slightly smaller budget, these days and courtesy of London’s lord mayor Boris Johnson. (I can’t remember coming across any similar events on this side of the Channel.) Some criticise it for being turned into a commercial sham (like critics do in the United States) or for being silent on black history’s symbiotic relationship to white history), but the group of English hip hop and grime artists in the video above seems determined to wrench it back from the cynics, paying tribute along the way to Maurice Bishop (remember him), Rosa Parks, Patrice Lumumba, Steve Biko, Emmett Till, Shaka Zulu, Malcolm X, Benjamin Banneker, Nat Turner, Mamadou Diallo, Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, Khalid Abdul Muhammad and others. Watch till the end. It may all sound like Afrika Bambataa, early Public Enemy and Native Tongues, but they’re keeping it topical: “Our truths they hid it well. If we knew ourselves would so many sit in a cell? When Europe has the influence in African affairs that Africa has in Europe, we can talk about a world that’s fair.” You may remember rapper Akala, featured here before.

R.I.P. Fred Shuttlesworth and Derrick Bell.

H/T: Mikko Kapanen.