Black History Month 2024

As the UK celebrates Black History Month 2024, we will be taking the opportunity to reflect, educate and promote the experiences of black communities in our local area and across the UK.

The UK theme for Black History Month 2024 is “Reclaiming Narratives.” This theme provides a spotlight for voices from Black communities, ensuring that stories, experiences & contributions are authentically shared authentically.

Our customers and colleagues come from a hugely diverse range of backgrounds, and we will use the ‘reclaiming narratives’ theme to share resources and create opportunities for everyone to consider new ideas and find out more about the stories of Black and Minority Ethnic people across the world.

We will also continue to challenge ourselves to make sure we are taking meaningful and practical action to promote and support race equality as an employer and Landlord.  

An Invitation to All

One of the aims of Black History Month 2024 is to extend an invitation to every member of the Black community who would like to tell their story or amplify their experiences.

In the spirit of the ‘reclaiming narratives’ theme, we would like to invite our customers and colleagues to share their stories and experiences with us. If you would like to tell us about your personal story or an important moment from your life, please let us know.

Events to mark Black History Month will take place across the UK throughout October, and we have a selected a small number below that shine a light on “Reclaiming Narratives,” this Black History Month:

The danger of a single narrative story: In 2023 Jordan Pierre, a student at Syracuse University delivered a poignant speech on the experience of being a Black student in America. During his graduation ceremony, he took the stage and delivered a commencement speech that gained over a million views on TikTok. He highlighted that being a Black student requires much more than academic excellence. Pierre also advocated for the importance of telling the full story in the media and called on his peers to be mindful of the stereotypes being repeated. For the problems with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but incomplete.

The urgency of intersectionality, TED talk, Kimberlé Crenshaw: Now more than ever, it’s important to look boldly at the reality of race and gender bias — and understand how the two can combine to create even more harm. Kimberlé uses the term “intersectionality” to describe this; as she says, if you’re standing in the path of multiple forms of exclusion, you’re likely to get hit by both. In this talk, she calls on us to bear witness to this reality and speak up for victims of prejudice.

Reclaiming Narratives: Hosted by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB) guest speaker David Corbin will be proving a free talk online to engage discussions, and thought-provoking conversations he aim’s to reclaim narratives that have been overlooked or marginalised. Booking for this free webinar is essential.

Why I’m not Longer Talking to White People About Race (book) by Reni Eddo-Lodge: In this book, Reni explores everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today. Available to buy here.

Black Bristol: A project by young people from Off The Record to show young black people the history of the city they live in and how this city has been shaped by black people across time and space. Find out more here.

Where does your race start? Understanding difference: The interactive The Ally Track is a tool that will help you understand how a person's advantages or disadvantages in life can affect their access to career opportunities. It demonstrates that through allyship, you can create a culture of helping others around you at work. Participants will have the option to receive a series of emails that encourage action points which can be easily implemented. These will help you to become more aware of how you can help and support those around you.

What's on in my area: There are lots of events taking place throughout the South West this month. Find out what's on in your area here. 

The Re-Education of Roger Griffith: In a journey of life-long learning, Roger Griffith delivers a talk with Bristol historical resonance sharing his inspiring story of embracing lifelong learning and how it transformed his life, proving that education is a journey, not a destination and that it's never too late to start again.