This October marks Black History Month in the UK, and there's plenty going on at Queen Mary to mark the occasion and engage with the richness of black, African and Caribbean arts, culture and history.
Inclusivity is one of our core values at Queen Mary. Our diversity of cultures and backgrounds is key to the vibrancy of our community and to the knowledge and ideas that we are able to generate and pass on. We are extremely proud that we attract such a diverse staff and student body, and are fully committed to providing an environment where everyone is supported to flourish and fulfil their potential.
Find out how you can get involved with Black History Month events at Queen Mary.
About Black History Month in the UK
Black History Month in the UK was first launched in 1987 by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo of the Greater London Council (GLC) where its primary aim was to highlight and celebrate the hidden history and contributions of African and Caribbean people to the UK. The GLC nominated October as Black History Month, to coincide with the Marcus Garvey celebrations and the African Jubilee Declaration. It soon spread to other UK cities such as Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and Bristol.
This year, in June, marked the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush. Many of its 492 passengers took up roles in the newly formed National Health Service (NHS), launched two weeks later. This represented a new era of Caribbean people settling in to support the reconstruction of post-war Britain. Today, black and minority ethnic (BME) people make up almost a quarter of the NHS workforce, and still face challenges and inequalities.
During Black History Month, there are a number of events taking place to mark the 70th anniversary of Windrush:
If you have an event or activity celebrating Black History Month that you would like included on this list, please email qmul-student@qmul.ac.uk.