Black History Month 2025 at UCL

On this page

• Introduction
• Book recommendations
• Events
• Further reading, listening and resources

Foreword from Kae Ohene-Yeboah, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Programmes and Charters) 

October marks Black History Month in the UK. Founded by Ghanaian political refugee Akyaaba Addai-Sebo in 1987, this month is a time to celebrate the culture and contributions of African and Caribbean people in the UK. The theme for this year is "Standing Firm in Power and Pride". It is a tribute to the visionaries and activists such as Addai-Sebo, who have shaped Black history. It is also a celebration of the beauty, resilience, and unwavering commitment to progress of the global Black community.  

The last year has seen a steady increase in anti-immigration sentiment, with protests sometimes tipping over into violence which has endangered the lives of innocent people. Such incidents remind us of the hatred and systemic racism that continue to permeate our society. This year's theme is a call to urgent action. At a time of increasing social unrest, racism, and dehumanisation, it's a call for black folks across the diaspora to stand firm in our power and pride and continue to fight to build a just and equal world.

This year's Black History Month theme is also a call to action for UCL. It's a call for us as a community to collectively commit to tackling racism and challenging the narratives that seek to dehumanise minoritised communities. This year, UCL reaffirms its commitment to promoting race equality through ongoing work to renew our Race Equality Charter and the development of our Race Equality Action Plan (2025-2030). The last few years have seen significant improvements in UCL’s ethnicity awarding gap, as well as important work throughout the institution on barriers to participation for racialised staff and students at UCL. Our charter submission and action plan will highlight and build upon these initiatives, and we will be aiming for a Silver Race Equality Charter mark (UCL currently holds a Bronze).

As we step into the new academic year, I look forward to celebrating Black History Month at UCL and to collaborating with students and colleagues across the institution to meet that call to action.

Book recommendations 

UCL Libraries are collecting a list of book recommendations from across the UCL community to celebrate Black History Month 2025. If you want some inspiration you can take a look at the Black History Month website for information on this year's theme 'Standing firm in power and pride’, but you don’t have to follow the theme – we're looking for books that celebrate Black life, culture and creativity in all its beauty and diversity.

Recommend your books here!

Events

Take a look at our list of activities and events below – and don’t forget to check back, as we’ll be adding more as they are announced in the coming weeks. If you have a UCL event you’d like to add please contact the team on internalcommunications [at] ucl.ac.uk.

Throughout October: Celebrating Black History Month with Students’ Union UCL

We are celebrating the month with a diverse programme of events led by our student leaders, groups, and societies.

1 October, 1pm: Students’ Union UCL Black History Month launch event 

Join our panel of staff and students to discuss this month's key theme: 'Standing Firm in Power and Pride'. Lunch will follow the panel discussion and it will be a great opportunity to network, build connections and find out what else the Union has planned for Black History Month this October. 

7 October, 1-2pm: Lunch Hour Lecture: The Black Industrial Revolution

To mark Black History Month, Prof Matthew Smith and his research team will showcase a new project of the Centre for the Study of the legacies of British Slavery at UCL, that aims to present the First Industrial Revolution in a new light. Sign up for our Lunch Hour Lecture here.

8 October, 1-2pm: 40 Acres screening and Town Hall

A screening of 40 Acres, in collaboration with The New Black Film Collective as part of the UCL East Community Cinema.

21 October, 6-8:30pm: Charity Film Screening of Bando

Charity Film Screening of Bando – Psychology and Education Society (PES), part of the Student's Union UCL, presents a film screening with charity JE Delve. They will show the short film Bando, crafted by JE Delve and young creatives. All ticket proceeds will go directly to JE Delve.

29 October, 1-2pm: UCL Astrea Bookclub: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

In celebration of Black History Month, UCL Astrea's next book club pick is Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other the groundbreaking Booker Prize-winning novel that  brings together twelve Black voices to explore identity, connection and what it means to live in contemporary Britain. Register for the book club and join here. 

29 October, 4-6pm: From Past to Progress: Black History Month Computer Science Showcase

Join UCL Computer Science to celebrate Black history with a showcase that highlights progress and honours the past.

Further reading, listening and resources

Reading and resources

• Black History Month
• Black History Month: An interview with Akyaaba Addai-Sebo
• Read a reflection piece from IOE’s Vice Dean for EDI, Professor Victoria Showunmi, on how we can truly honour Black history and Black futures
• Towards racially just research and scholarship practices – In this blog, UCL Institute of Education’s Dr Wilton Lodge explores what it means to engage in racially just research and scholarship.
• Gender Voices: Celebrating Professor Victoria Showunmi – A milestone for intersectional justice in academia
• The UCL Library Liberating the Collections group's Black Studies subject guide is an ongoing resource to highlight Black scholarship in UCL Library's collections
• Explore the ASPIRES: ‘Lost Scientists’ research exhibition, spotlighting overlooked young people in STEM.
• UCL Access and Widening Participation: How we're working to remove some of the barriers that Black students can face in HE
• UCL Access and Widening Participation: Envision UCL, a programme for Black students in Year 10 who want to find out more about university

Podcasts and videos 

• The Bridge: A Disagreeing Well podcast asks ‘Can the interests of ethnic minority voters be properly represented by right-wing parties?’ With guests Albie Amankona and Nels Abbey, this episode dives into one of the most polarising questions in modern politics. 
• Generation One: Decolonising climate action – addressing the past for a fairer future. As the call for climate justice grows louder, we hear from voices driving change through law, activism, and indigenous knowledge, showing how justice and sustainability can go hand in hand.
• Professor Caroline Bressey (UCL Georgraphy) contributes to The Tracks of a Trailblazer, a podcast series looking at Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a British Black mixed-race composer who was born in Holborn, London, in August 1875 and died in Croydon in September 1912. This year marks the 150th anniversary of his birth, as well as the 200th anniversary of Britain’s railways. 
• CPA’s ‘Let’s Talk About Anti-Black Racism’ Series: Alison Wiggins speaks with Kate Williams and Ruby Williams about tackling Afro hair discrimination in schools, reflecting on their experiences and advocacy for change.

Staff networks

• UCL Race Equality Steering Group
• Racematters@UCL

Student networks

• Students’ Union UCL People of Colour Network
• Black@UCL is our programme to support and enhance the experience of students from Black heritage backgrounds. Find out more about Black@UCL in this video.