Op-Ed: A Black History Month Call to Action For Tigray, Ethiopia

Black History Month should be a time of reflection, celebration, and—above all—a call to action. It is a moment to honor the immense resilience, groundbreaking achievements, and agonizing struggles of Black people across the world. But let’s be clear: as we commemorate this month, we must not turn a blind eye to the ongoing horrors that continue to ravage Black lives. Among the most pressing and urgent crises is the genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Tigray, Ethiopia—an atrocity that the global community, and the Black diaspora, have largely ignored. This silence is not just deafening; it is a moral failure of the highest order.

For over four years, Tigrayans have been subjected to unspeakable atrocities—ethnic cleansing, systematic famine, rampant sexual violence, and mass displacement–part and parcel of genocide. Over four years, yet the world remains shamefully indifferent. Where is the global movement that condemned apartheid and marched for George Floyd? Why does the suffering of millions in Tigray barely register on the global conscience? The refusal to act, to speak out, is not just a failure of governments and international organizations—it is a collective failure of humanity, and it is especially a betrayal of the Black community, which has historically been at the forefront of global struggles for justice and human rights.

Black History Month should not just be about remembering past pain—it must be about confronting the pain that continues to unfold in real-time. The same systems of oppression that have enslaved, brutalized, and disenfranchised Black people in the Americas, Europe, and Africa are at work in Tigray. Colonialism, racism, and global indifference continue to dictate whose lives are deemed worthy of protection and whose suffering is erased. If we truly believe that Black lives matter—all Black lives—then the lives of Tigrayans, who are enduring the worst forms of violence and persecution today, must matter too.

The fight for justice is not selective. We cannot proudly stand in solidarity with Black liberation movements while ignoring a genocide that is happening right now against Black people in Africa. The call to action could not be clearer: we must demand an end to the atrocities, accountability, humanitarian aid, and justice for Tigray. And the Black community, which has fought against oppression and injustice for generations, must not remain passive in the face of this crisis. We cannot afford to be complicit in silence. Our struggle for liberation is not an isolated one. From the civil rights movement to the anti-apartheid struggle, we have seen that only through collective resistance can we dismantle even the most entrenched systems of oppression.

It is not enough to simply commemorate resilience—we must embody it. Resilience should not be used as an excuse for inaction or apathy. We owe it to our ancestors, to ourselves, and to future generations to stand up for all oppressed people, regardless of where they live. This includes the Tigrayans who are fighting for their right to live, their dignity, and their humanity in a world that has turned its back on them. Justice is not justice if it is selective or if it is contingent on which lives are more worth saving.

The time for silence is over. The time for action is now. We cannot, and must not, ignore the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Tigray any longer. Black History Month must be a time not only to remember but to act—to act for the liberation of all Black people, wherever they may be. The Black community must answer the call for solidarity with Tigray. The liberation of black individuals around the world is tied to the liberation and freedom of Tigrayans. If Tigray is not free, then as Black people, we will never truly know freedom.