As Black History Month (BHM) in the UK celebrates the excellence of the Black community who have invented, created and inspired – past, present and future – to help shape the wider multicultural community, some of the Premier League’s leading players are upfront and personal with their views of what the celebratory month means to them. Kalvin Phillips, Kyle Walker and Paul Pogba, share their views on what the ‘Month means to them.
About the importance of highlighting and learning about those who have – for far too long – extrapolated by the annuls of mainstream history, Leeds United’s England international midfielder Phillips says: "Black History Month gives everybody a greater chance to look back on a different Histories - to learn and remember those who have done great things. It is important for me to remember where you come from and know who it is that has helped us to get to where we are at now."
England’s Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker says Black history is something that needs to be celebrated on a daily basis - and not just for a single month during the year. "Black History Month is important,” he says, “but I think it shouldn’t be just one month of the year - it should be every single day of every single month – as with White history or Asian history.
France and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says: "There shouldn't necessarily be a ‘Black History Month’, I think every month should be a ‘Humanity Month’ where you could invite everyone - from different countries and backgrounds - and all eat together. Now there’s a nice idea."
For Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Black History Month is about learning about role models and becoming a better one in his own right. The England international hopes his success on the pitch can offer Black children hope and belief that they can achieve and accomplish anything they want in life.
He said: "For me as a kid, having role models of colour, and then becoming probably, you know, a role model myself today - which is still strange for me - I think Black History Month is massively important.
"It's important because when you see someone that looks like you achieving great things then there shouldn’t be any question of, well, I can't do that because I'm Black. Regardless of skin colour, it’s as if he can do it, then I can do it. And, in terms of role models, it is massively important."
