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Black
History
Month

Black History Month (BHM) serves as a platform for expression. It serves as a schedule, as a reminder about how positive social change must include race equality. Black History Month serves as a platform to create the channels needed to ensure the campaign for equity, diversity and inclusion survives.

Channels have been created in literature, music, fashion, sport, business, politics, academia, social sciences and health care for centuries and much of this information remains unknown. Whilst Black men and Women/people of colour have made significant contributions and impacts globally, this year’s Black History Month focuses on women with the theme – “Saluting our Sisters”. 

Celebrating the achievements of Black women/women of colour makes way for Black History to be recognised and engaged with as nothing other than history itself, which has always included Black people/people of colour and therefore is nothing novel. This relationship between curation and history has meant that there are accounts, stories and memories that are simply not documented such as the role Black women have made to society in literature, music, fashion, sport, business, politics, academia, social sciences, social and health care and more.

It’s important because whilst there have been many achievements, and during times of adversity, significantly more are still to be revealed.

Black history or simply history

The colonial encounter, slavery, and migration produced fiction literature that has become the basis for action, argument, personal and historical memory.  

Professor Sam Kasule focuses much of his teaching in English literature on post-colonial, post-slavery and diasporic writing, and fiction written by Europeans following the European contacts with India, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. His research and teaching consider the shapes that information has taken as it has been captured and transmitted. His view is that while people share the same history of migration, slavery, and colonisation they have differing memories; hence his focus on writing by women of colour and people from “mixed-race” backgrounds in much of his teaching.  
 
Professor Kasule has taught many various modules and led various professional seminars in this field. His current teaching which includes World Literatures in English (Level 4), Colonialism and Independence, Riots and Rebels Level 6), and Global Literatures in English (Level 7) specifically highlights writing by women of colour, among other writers. In the first year, students are introduced to contemporary leading female writers, critics and theorists Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwean), Andrea Levy (Black British), bell hooks African American), and Toni Morrison (African American).

At Level 6, Colonialism and Independence students are able to continue the exploration of selected texts by women writers which has included Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwean) Nayantra Sahgal (India), Jamaica Kincaid (African Caribbean), Nadine Gordmer (South African), Jean Rhys (African Caribbean), and Erna Brodber (African Caribbean). Additionally, in another module, Riots and Rebels students are able to study Harlem Duet, by the leading African Canadian woman writer, Djanet Sears.

Later at Level 7, on a module that has which has a limited number of texts, the selection includes the writing of Jamaca Kincaid (African Caribbean). This rich collection of writing that spans several generations of writers from different continents serves as both a window into women’s writing and the wider world of literature in English, and a source of arguments about what those narratives mean to us today.

The fiction focusing on ideas of colonialism, gender, migration, colour and race, and voices of women of colour, approached from a different perspective, has helped to inspire students to write dissertations that explore interdisciplinary themes. But his current developing collaborative research on the idea of African European performers in Britain and Germany is likely to excavate more work by women of colour within the area of drama and performance. 

Celebrating Black History Month 2023

Celebrating Black History Month 2023

View Celebrating Black History Month 2023 video transcript

Headshot of Natalie McFarlane

Celebrating the achievements of Black women/women of colour makes way for Black history to be recognised and engaged with as nothing other than history itself, which has always included Black people/people of colour and therefore is in fact, nothing novel.

Natalie Okpara-McFarlane
Business Development & Employability Manager, Innovation and Research
Samuel Kasule

Focusing on ideas of colonialism, gender, migration, colour and race, and voices of women of colour, approached from a different perspective, has helped to inspire students to write dissertations that explore interdisciplinary themes.

Sam Kausle
Professor of Postcolonial Theatre and Performance
Black woman cutting out creative materials.

Inspirational stories

Staff members pay homage to the inspirational women who have made an impact on their lives.

Read our staff picksRead our staff picks
Picture of Kamil Omoteso Dean of the College of Business Law and Social Sciences

As a member of the executive team, I see Black History Month as an opportunity to take the University forward on its EDI journey. We create avenues for staff and students to understand the present from our past so that together, we can forge a better future.

Professor Kamil Omoteso
PVC Dean, College of Business, Law and Social Sciences
Catherine Josh Baptiste, smiling.

BHM aims to inspire pride amongst black people of all ages, sexualities, and gender identities. It seeks to help all of us challenge the devastating impact of racism through greater knowledge, hope & understanding, making black history accessible & relevant.

Catherine John-Baptiste
Chair of the staff Race Equality Network Senior Lecturer, HPSC.
Picture of Cleveland Thompson, Vice-Chair of the Staff Race Equality Network

Although black history should be celebrated every day rather than a particular month of the year, Black History Month (BHM), gives us all an opportunity to celebrate the positive contributions that the black diaspora has made to all walks of life.

Cleveland Thompson
Vice-Chair of the Staff Race Equality Network Senior Lecturer, HPSC.