November 11th marks the day of remembrance for all the people who have fallen due to war. Remembrance day is most popularly associated with the termination of World War I, which was at 11 a.m. on November 11th, 1918.

During this time, it is customary to wear a red poppy rose on one’s person. However, many other poppy colors get worn on this day as well, one with specific significance is the black poppy rose.

The black poppy rose commemorates the Black, African, Caribbean, and Pacific Island community’s contributions to war efforts. Selena Carty is the founder of the BlackPoppyRose Project and launched in 2010 on blackpoppyrose.org as a space to promote, document and archive history associated with the subject, host exhibitions displaying visual and engaging images of remembrance.

Her project aims to “To make the BlackPoppyRose a symbol of Remembrance worldwide, to educate and empower through understanding historical timelines, [and] to empower self-identity within African/Black/West Indian/Pacific Islanders.” 

This week, Brits on Twitter express their take on Remembrance Day and the importance of especially recognising marginalised folks during this time.

User @Cliviire revealed a gruesome and uncensored truth of the struggles that Black individuals experienced during the time, “Let’s not forget that in [the] UK after WW1, Black men who had worked on ships, in factories and had fought for Britain at the front were attacked by white mobs, lynched & they and their families driven from their homes.”

Many people share her same sentiment and reject wearing the red poppy rose completely or opt for wearing the black or white poppy, white poppy symbolises the fight against glamorising war. 

If you would like to purchase a black poppy rose or other related merchandise, visit blackpoppyrose.org/shop/. The BlackPoppyRose is also accepting donations for future content and exhibits.

Photo by Zhen Hu on Unsplash

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