Written by Rai Furniss-Greasley, with input from the Equality and Diversity Group
Black History Month takes place every October in the UK, celebrating the enormous contribution Black Britons have made to our vibrant and diverse society.
This month of recognition and awareness is a way of remembering important people and events in the history of Black communities. This year, there’s an increased focus on the Black Lives Matter movement and tackling systematic racism. There are a wide variety of events to take part in, for both education and celebration.
Origins of Black History Month
Black History Month was first held in 1970 in the US at Kent State University. In 1976, then-President Ford recognised it as an “opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Since then, in the US and Canada, Black History Month has taken place every February.
Here in the UK, Black History Month was first celebrated in London in October 1987. Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who had worked with Greater London Council on special projects before, started a collaboration to set Black History Month in motion. Read more about the origins of Black History Month here.
Get involved
Here at the University, the BAME Staff Network is running a full programme of events, blogs and conversation throughout Black History Month. Check out what’s coming up on their intranet page.
There are also Black History Month events taking place nationally – not only during October, but all year round. Find the 2020 events listings here.
Read more
The Black History Month website has a huge number of resources so we can all have a read, educate ourselves and get involved. Topics covered include: