Black History Month is an excellent time to spotlight history that should already be part of the curriculum, highlight incredible individuals within the city’s rich black history and celebrate black culture. There is a host of events happening throughout October from organisations across Liverpool and we’ve handpicked some highlights from across the programme.
Black History Month Events in Liverpool
International Slavery Museum
Liverpool is home to the International Slavery Museum giving the city the greatest access to such histories and education into Liverpool’s harrowing involvement in the slave trade. The Museum is offering a series of events over Black History Month to educate and illuminate such histories. There will be a series of intriguing talks and activites over the course of October:
10 October – The Rise and Role of the Colour Bar in British Boxing by Gary Shaw. Telling the story of how only white British boxers could compete for British boxing titles until 1947 and the implications of this.
16 October – Anthony Walker Memorial Lecture Empowering Young People. A heartfelt and important lecture focused on Anthony’s legacy and the fight against racial violence.
18 October – Hands of Change. Where you’ll be able to add your hand to the art installation at the International Slavery Museum on Anti-Slavery Day.
24 October – Black Soldiers at Waterloo. Historian Dr. Ray Costello will ruminate on black people’s involvement in British wars.
More information can be found on the International Slavery Museum website.
Liverpool John Moore’s University
Are We Missing the Point – Diversity or True Inclusion? online lecture with Sky News Presenter Gillian Joseph on the 21 October will offer the audience a chance to see at the changes going on in our society at the moment and how we can progress this further.
Register to attend this online event via the LJMU website.
Writing on the Wall
Writing on the Wall (WoW) is a non-profit organisation that focuses on writing development. Over the course of October they are collaborating with many authors, poets, professors and performers to educate the public on black history. On the 18 October they will be holding their second 1919 Race Riot walking tour around the L1 area to display Liverpool’s racial history.
From the 13 – 17 October they be hosting A Carribean Journey talks in relation to the BBC Archive films from poets SuAndi, Karen McCarthy Woolf and Levi Tafari and writer Ashleigh Nugent. There will also be new poetry influenced from the film by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné and Vladmir Lucien, an interview with author and poet Olive Senior as well as a reading of Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation by its author Colin Grant. This will no doubt be a scintillating and fascinating affair which can be found across WoW’s social media platforms.
On the 27 October activist Sophie Williams will talk on How to be an Anti-Racist Ally which will identify the ways in which we can all help in the fight for equality which can be found on WoW’s Facebook page at 7pm. It will offer an insight into the ways we can all be better anti-racist allies and make real tangible change.
WoW have so many more events throughout October which can be found on their website: https://www.wowfest.uk/events
University of Liverpool
On the 14 October student Jacob Hussain will be in conversation with Nana Nubi at 4.15pm to discuss her work for human rights organisations and her new colouring book that showcases Nigerian culture.
The University are offering a series of podcasts which cover a wide range of black history from decolonising the curriculum to a conversation with Liverpool’s first black MP Kim Johnson which can be found on their website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/events/
Jack Boyce
