Black History Month
Honouring the contributions made to society by people of African and Caribbean heritage, Black History Month is a time to educate and enrich the world with the importance of Black history and how it shapes society today.
This year's theme is 'Time for Change: Action Not Words' and the resources on this page equip you with the tools to do just that.
Black History Month 2023
Black history is British history. We celebrate the contributions of Black people all year round however, October is a month where we focus on the experience and success of people of African and Caribbean ancestry.
This page contains helpful resources to educate you, your workplace, school or youth groups to celebrate Black History Month.
We succeed together. As part of the celebrations, we showcase racial allies - people from a range of racial backgrounds who have challenged the status-quo or taken steps to achieve racial equality.
OPEN PALM IS ALL ABOUT ACTION...
to empower people to succeed regardless of their racial or social background.
We achieve this by delivering educational life-skills programmes, improving learning environments and addressing racial inequality. We create an equal start line for young people and facilitate work experience and employment opportunities.
Dedicated BHM organisations
Learn more from passionate organisations who exist to celebrate and promote Black British History.
Books to read
Check out our list of informative and inspiring books to read and enjoy during this year's celebration
Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire | Akala
Covering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Natives speaks directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain's racialised empire. - Waterstones
Brit(ish) | Afua Hirsch
Challenging the harmful legacy of white-centred British history, this is a powerful, hard-hitting examination of modern, divided Britain. Essential reading for our times. - Waterstones
Black and British: A short, essential history | David Olusoga
Revised and rewritten for younger readers, Olusoga’s insightful and invaluable history of the Black experience in the British Isles ranges from forgotten Africans in the Roman legions to the multicultural society of the present day. - Waterstones
Mixed/Other: Explorations of Multiraciality in Modern Britain | Natalie Morris
n the 1960s two African-American entrepreneurs hire a working-class white man to pretend to be the head of their business empire while they pose as a janitor and chauffeur.
Don't Touch My Hair | Emma Dabiri
In viewing black hair as emblematic of the black experience from slavery through to social media, Dabiri’s deftly written history approaches a wide-ranging and complex topic from a startlingly original angle. Unearthing any number of jaw-dropping facts about the uses to which black hair has been put over the centuries, this is a remarkable, educational read.
Misfits: A Personal Manifesto - by the creator of 'I May Destroy You' | Michaela Cole
Inspired by her acclaimed Edinburgh Festival lecture, Michaela Coel’s passionately argued and devastatingly articulate manifesto for greater transparency and honesty is a clarion call for speaking truth to power.
Black stories on the big screen
Get the popcorn ready and experience the gripping journeys faced by a range of historical icons and fictional heroes expressing the Black experience.
These stories are thought-provoking and challenge audience's perspectives.
Mansa Musa, the 14th century African king of the Mali Empire, is said to have amassed a fortune that made him one of the wealthiest people who ever lived. Jessica Smith tells the story of how Mansa Musa literally put his empire – and himself – on the map.
Black History should not just be important to Black people but to all for a fuller understanding of the relationship between Black & White people socially and politically. Yes, Black History Matters. Don John explains why social activism is only the beginning of a process.
Writer and historian David Olusoga presents a series of short films exploring critical moments in Black British history from 1919 that have been forgotten or rarely discussed.
Watford and Birmingham striker Troy Deeney goes on a mission to put Black, Asian and minority ethnic histories and experiences on the curriculum in schools across the UK. Speaking with superstar boxer Anthony Joshua, and then Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi MP, and confronting the lived experience with his family.
Black History on Youtube
Honouring the contributions made to society by people of African and Caribbean heritage and their communities, Black History Month is a time to educate and enrich the world with the importance of Black history.