UCL marks Black History Month 2024

On this page:

• Foreword from Adwoa Darko, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (Behaviour & Culture Change)
• Marking Black History Month at UCL
• 100 Employees: How You See Us
• Book Recommendations
• Events
• More information

Foreword from Adwoa Darko, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (Behaviour & Culture Change)

I love October. Not only because I am partial to any and everything pumpkin spice; October marks Black History Month in the UK. First organised in 1987 by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a Ghanaian refugee, the celebration intends to shine a spotlight on Black culture and the many contributions of African and Caribbean people to British society. 
 
This year’s theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, is a reminder that Black History Month is not only about reflecting on our past; it’s about taking back ownership of the stories that define our culture, our identities, what it means to be Black in Britain. For too long, ‘Black History’ within Western education has been overlooked, oversimplified and filled with inaccuracies. ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ feels like a rallying cry for Black people across the diaspora to become narrators of our own novels. The Black experience is far from monolithic, and it must be ensured that *all* our voices are amplified, recognised and importantly, celebrated. 

As we embark on the new academic year, the events of this summer still weigh heavily on the hearts of racialised communities in Britain. The racist and Islamophobic riots served as a visceral, heartbreaking reminder of the hatred and systemic racism that still pervades through our society. Within Higher Education, the ‘wicked problem’ of the racialised awarding gap still exists, only 0.2% of professors in the UK are Black women and recent polling commissioned by UUK found that 25% of students from an ‘ethnic minority’ background had experienced some form of racial harassment. 

It is important that within our UCL community, we feel a collective responsibility for tackling racism and challenging harmful narratives about minoritised communities. I look forward to celebrating Black History at UCL this month and beyond. 

Marking Black History Month at UCL

Taking place annually since 1987, Black History Month is a nationwide celebration of Black people’s contributions to British society throughout history. This year’s theme, ‘Reclaiming Narratives,’ invites us to reflect on and correct historical inaccuracies while highlighting the untold achievements and complexity of Black heritage, both within the UK and more globally abroad.

Various events and activities are taking place at UCL throughout October in celebration of Black History Month. Scroll down to discover our latest additions – plus keep checking back as more are announced in the coming weeks!

Running an event that you’d like us to add here? Please get in touch at internalcommunications@ucl.ac.uk.

100 Employees: How You See Us

From 1 November–14 December 2024

Discover 100 portraits of African and Caribbean employees at UCL, celebrating heritage and contributions to the university. Experience diversity through a fresh, intersectional perspective. Launching on the final day of Black History Month, this exhibition is a powerful reminder that the contributions of people of African and Caribbean heritage should be acknowledged, and celebrated, all year around. Find out more about the exhibition here.

Book recommendations

The Library Liberating the Collections Group have compiled a list of books from recommendations across the UCL community to celebrate Black History Month. This year’s national theme is Reclaiming Narratives. We asked you for stories, allegories, and histories that work to correct historical inaccuracies, showcasing untold success stories and highlighting the full complexity of Black heritage.

Take a look at the full list of recommendations here.

Events

All month – until 31 October 2024

Visit our Black History Month display at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, open every day in the Common Room from 10am–5pm. Address: 11–43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL.

All month – Events and socials from Students' Union UCL, including the Black History Month Sports Pass

The Union are celebrating the month with a diverse programme of events, led by our student leaders, groups, and societies. Check out the full programme here – and don't forget the Team UCL Black History Month Sports Pass, which entitles Black UCL students to access all designated sports club and Project Active sessions between Monday 14 October and Sunday 3 ovember.

3 October 2024, 5–5:45pm: TeamUCL Black History Month Workshop

A campaign workshop for TeamUCL Sports Clubs to discuss Black History Month, specifically initiatives, programmes or events that they would like to deliver. 

8 October 2024, 6–8pm: Book launch: Lifework

A book launch for Lifework, which, offering approaches across art history, literary theory, feminist, Black, trans, and queer studies, takes the work of art and the process of artmaking as starting points for examining what a 'lifework' might constitute.

10 October 2024, 5–6.30pm: Britain and the aftermath of Empire

Join UCL IIPP in conversation with Dr Kojo Koram, author of 'Uncommon Wealth' – which accounts how buried decisions of decades past are ravaging Britain today.

14 October 2024, 5–6.30pm: Caribbean Journeys and Colonial Legacies: a reading of Ocean Stirrings by Merle Collins

The third instalment in the Speaker Series of the Centre for the Study of Legacies of British Slavery, and honouring one of UCL History’s most distinguished graduates – the Guyanese historian Elsa V. Goveia.

16 October 2024, 5–6.30pm: On the Humanity and Inhumanity of Data

Join Professor Alex Gil for this public talk, hosted by the UCL Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery.

21 October 2024, 11am–1pm: Cafe: Anti-Racism in Education

Join an engaging and critical conversation examining how educational institutions engage with, or avoid, discussions of racism.

23 October 2024, 5–7.30pm: UCL Computer Science Black History Month Celebration

The UCL Computer Science Race Equality Working Group is hosting its fourth Black History Month celebration with an evening amplifying the voices of Black computer scientists. 

31 October 2024, 4.45–6pm: Club, Culture and the City: Book Launch of Black Arsenal

Discover how Arsenal Football Club has become central to modern Black identity by celebrating the launch of a stunning new book by Dr Clive Chijoke Nwonka, Associate Professor at UCL.

More information

• Black History Month website 
• See the Library Liberating the Collections group's Black Studies subject guide – an ongoing resource to highlight Black scholarship in UCL Library's collections. 
• UCL History chats to Dr Brahima Kaba, Julius NYÉRÉRÉ University, about Black History Month.
• Read Creating space for Black voices at UCL: a student (and now alumni) perspective – a blogpost by Olivia Amponsa-Gyasi and Kelly Cummins.
• UCL Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Racism and Racialisation: A focal point for scholarship, teaching and public engagement activities that are addressed to various problems of racial inequality and hierarchy. Find out more about Sarah Parker Remond in this Instagram reel from UCL's Alumni Office.
• A profile of journalist, writer and UCL alumnus Tomiwa Owolade, whose book This is Not America Why We Need a British Conversation About Race, is described as a “radical reappraisal of how we talk about race in Britain.”