In the UK, October is the dedicated month for honouring and celebrating the remarkable contributions of Black individuals to our society, culture and history. Throughout the centuries, Black Britons have played pivotal roles in shaping our nation's progress. Black History Month is an opportunity to recognize and amplify the voices of those whose stories may have been overlooked in the past. It's a time to reflect on the enduring strength and resilience of Black communities in the face of adversity, as well as a chance to celebrate Black communities’ creativity, innovation, and contributions to every aspect of British life. 

This year’s theme for Black History Month was “Reclaiming the Narrative” and we invited Baroness Valerie Amos, Master of University College Oxford, to talk on this subject. The talk can be found on the EDI section of the intranet under links and resources.

In addition, for 2024 Black History Month we also invited everyone to join us in ‘Reclaiming the Narrative’ and to watch our showcasing of some pioneering figures on the screens of Hawkshead and Camden. From Jessica Huntley’s groundbreaking publishing venture creating a platform for Black voices, fiction and non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature, Wangari Maathai’s “Green Belt Movement” in planting trees across Kenya to alleviate poverty to end conflict and Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon’s unwavering motivation in publicly challenging the institutional failures and racial biases that hindered Stephen Lawrence’s justice. We also showed Sidney Poitier, a respected actor and humanitarian who redefined roles for African Americans by rejecting parts that were based on racial stereotypes and Marcus Rashford, professional footballer, who launched a program during Covid lockdown to deliver meals to disadvantaged children, reaching 4 million in the first few months. Our Student Union members also arranged events along with a film night for the occasion.