October marks the start of Black History Month in the U.K.
First celebrated in 1987 at Country Hall, Black History Month in the U.K. was championed by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo. A journalist and pan-African activist born and raised in Ghana, Addai-Sebo was the Special Projects Coordinator at the Greater London Council.
Dedicated to fighting against the prevalent racism in the U.K. and celebrating Black history, his plans for Black History Month in the U.K. stemmed from the positive responses he received from students and parents when he introduced more lectures about Black history, particularly about the traditions in the U.S. October was selected as Black History Month in the U.K. due to it being the start of the academic year and because it was the month in which most African leaders gathered to hold important discussions.
Now nearly 40 years since its first celebration, here are five events to attend to celebrate Black History Month in the U.K this year.
Black History Tour of the British Museum
On October 11, 2026, Black History Studies will guide British Museum visitors on a tour exploring artifacts from African cultures. The tour will cover the Bronzes of Benin area and the artworks in the Egyptian Gallery. The British Museum will also offer weekly tours on African heritage and history. Held every Saturday, the 60-minute tour leads visitors throughout the museum to discuss African kingdoms, Igbo culture, the Kushite rulers, African mythology, and the role of metal in African communities.
Black Women Speak: The Passion of Remembrance
On October 14 at 7 p.m., the Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage will screen “Passion of Remembrance.” First released in 1986, the film was co-directed by Maureen Blackwood and Isaac Julien. The film documents the lives of Black women in the 1980s in England. “Passion of Remembrance” interweaves conversations about Black British culture, sexuality and gender through dramatic storytelling and archival content.
Black History Month Lecture with Lemn Sissay
Poet of the 2012 London Olympics and previous chancellor of the University of Manchester Lemn Sissay is set to hold a keynote at Liverpool Cathedral on Oct. 9. The two-hour event will include reflections from Lemn Sissay. Organized by the Racial Justice team, the lecture will discuss Black British identity, culture and community- all of which are common themes of his work. For his writing, Sissay was awarded with the PEN Pinter Prize and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Since 2014, he has been part of the Founding Museum’s board.
How Civilizations Remember: Twelve Technologies of African Knowledge, Memory and Transmission
Held in Newham on October 24 at Stratford Library, “How Civilizations Remember” is a talk event that focuses on the passage of knowledge. The 60-minute event will facilitate discussion amongst the audience as it follows the way African nations have shared their knowledge through different mediums such as the arts, scripts, numbers, stories, time, language and technology. Chinenye Egbuna Ikwuemesi will lead the talk. She is the Founder & Director of the Afrodeities Institute, a research and publishing center that focuses on African knowledge. Newham will also host a variety of other events, including daily celebrations of Benjamin Zephaniah’s “Nature Trails” poem, a creative writing workshop and live poetry as well as music.
African Fashion, Art & Power
Scheduled for Oct. 3, “African Fashion, Art & Power” celebrates African fashion. Supported through installations, spoken word and other live events, the event will celebrate fashion, art, culture, heritage, identity and using clothing to express oneself. It is being presented by Bandung Africa CIC, Afrowema and Creative Resilience International and will be held at The Camden Club.
