Held every October in Britain, Black History Month (BHM) was first introduced in London in 1987 through the Greater London Council, as a means for offering a sense of history, achievement and continuity within the Black community.
In the same year, the African Jubilee Year Declaration was launched which called on local and national government authorities to recognise African contributions to the cultural, economic and political life of London and the UK. Over the years, hundreds of local and national events have been organised across the UK in commemoration of Black History Month. It has also evolved into a celebration of cultural diversity, and has significantly contributed in promoting inclusion in the UK.
At Durham, BHM activities and events are organised by various groups, colleges and departments from across the University. Have a look at our consolidated programme below and take part in the activities!
This forms part of the University's Black History Month events, and links well to this year's theme of 'Reclaiming Narratives'. The dominant narratives of Durham as a university too often overlook the histories and experiences of Durham's Black students, this event seeks to challenge this. It also forms part of a wider series of projects on the absence/presence of Durham’s Black history and is the collaborative outcome of work by Nayanika Mookherjee, Sol Gamsu, Liam Liburd, Jonathan Bush, Avarna Ojha, Bex Islam, Keira Forde, Naomi Lawal, Noa Mensch, Penny Zacharatou, Angelina Johnson and Ferdinand Ameyaw amongst others.
There will be photos and documents displayed as posters, a website and walking tour to engage with as well as short talks/reflections from current students and staff. Further details to follow nearer the time.
This event will take place at the Great Hall, University College (Castle). Please register via this form.
Join Stephenson College for their first Stephenson Ideas talk of the new academic year, marking Black History Month 2024!
Their two speakers are Dr Sol Gamsu, who will share his insights on the extra/ordinary histories of Durham’s Black students alongside Terry Graham, Head of History at Heworth Grange School in Gateshead and founder of Project North Star, an initiative to encourage others to teach Black history in their school lessons.
Dr Gamsu is a sociologist and a geographer of education with a strong commitment to the politics of education and envisaging alternative futures for education and society more broadly. His interests lie at the intersection of sociology, geography and history and the central theme running through his work is how structures and experiences of power and inequality in education are reproduced over time and through different local and regional geographies.
Terry Graham leads Project North Star, is a principal writer and a Head of History in a secondary school in the Northeast. Terry wants the Northeast to shout about its history and wants all of his students to know that we live in a diverse, amazing place.
The talk will run from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, doors open at 6pm. It will be held at the Saltwell Building, Stephenson College, DH1 3DE. Cheese, charcuterie and wine will be served after the event in Platform 2 (next door to Saltwell). Please do let the college know of any dietary requirements on the form below. To sign up for the talk, please complete the short form here or scan the above QR code.
This event will take place at MCS0001 (Scott Logic Lecture Theatre), Maths and Computer Science Building. It will be followed by a drinks reception. For queries, please contact sabine.boegli@durham.ac.uk.
Guest Viber:
St. Aidan’s College welcomes members of Durham University and the wider community to our BHM event ‘Flippin’ & Vibin’ with Robin Walker: How Black History Reclaims the Narrative and Diversifies the Curriculum’. Our guest speaker, Robin Walker, also known as ‘The Black History Man’, is an educator considered to be the UK’s most pre-eminent African history scholar. Robin has been teaching and lecturing in African World Studies, Egyptology and Black History in adult education, universities and at conferences for nearly three decades. He is also a best-selling author with over 16 books to his name.
Robin Walker is also part of the comprehensive programme ‘The Black Secret Education Project’, which is about ‘Quietly Empowering the People’. Robin leads this amazing course, and their mission and intentions are to engage, enlighten and empower people across the world by shattering the illusion that Africa is just a cultural backwater, and that Black people have contributed nothing to world culture.
Theme:
Where do people of African heritage fit into history? How does this affect what goes into the teaching curricula?
It is to be expected that Black History is a new and unfamiliar subject to most people. In this thought-provoking multimedia presentation, Robin Walker, introduces this subject. Moreover, he addresses the direct relationship between how powerful a people are on the world stage, and how much respect their historical contributions are accorded. Consequently, people who have had their cultures weakened by enslavement and colonisation have also had their contributions to knowledge production erased. What were these contributions? Can we document them? This is why the theme for this year’s Black History Month is ‘Reclaim the Narrative!’
Moderator:
Christopher Jones AKA Dr. X is St. Aidan’s Vice Principal, who is also an Early Career Researcher, Humanist and Sports volunteer that will be our moderator. This event is underpinned by Christopher’s brand Flippin’ & Vibin’ which aims to ‘flip the script’ to traditional/false narratives that create prejudices and biases in society. Robin’s presentation around decolonisation seeks to do just that.
Please click this link or scan the above QR code for registration and further details if you’d like to attend this fantastic event, which will take place in Lindisfarne Centre, St. Aidan's College. For queries, please contact Christopher.c.jones@durham.ac.uk.
The Department of Chemistry are delighted to invite DU staff and students to their annual Black History Month Symposium, a special event celebrating the contributions, experiences, and journeys of Black professionals in academia and beyond. This year, they are excited to host three inspiring speakers:
The speakers will be sharing their personal stories about their paths to university and their professional careers. The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion, offering a deeper dive into the challenges and successes they’ve faced and insights into navigating the professional world.
It will take place at the Chemistry Department, CG91. Please register using this link.
The Durham County Council's Race, Equality and Diversity staff network has worked with The Story and Gala Cinema on a programme to mark Black History Month in County Durham.
The life and times of Arthur WhartonJoin us at The Story on Thursday 3 October 2024 (5.30-6.30pm) to learn about the life and times of Arthur Wharton, the world’s first Black professional footballer and one-time fastest man on the planet. We are delighted to have speaker Shaun Campbell, founder of The Arthur Wharton Foundation. The foundation was created to acknowledge and celebrate the life and achievements of a true national and international sporting pioneer and trailblazer.
Harder Than The RockOn Tuesday 15 October at 8.00pm Gala Cinema will show the film Harder Than The Rock. The film tells the fascinating story of Cimarons, the first UK band to embrace the thrilling new sound coming out of Jamaica. Book tickets here.
SelmaOn Tuesday 22 October at 8.00pm Gala Cinema will show Selma, the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. Book tickets here.
As part of the Gala Durham's work to make it as accessible as possible for all, audio description headsets will be offered on every film screening for those who are visually impaired.
If your department / college / association / network is planning a Black History Month activity this year and would like for this to be included on this consolidated e-programme, please complete this form. Thank you.
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