October has finally arrived, and with it we celebrate a remarkable commemoration – Black History Month (BHM). 

This yearly celebration encourages us to reflect on the achievements of the Black and Caribbean community, and to shine light on the many Black voices and lived experiences that have been discarded in the past. KCLSU has been supporting Black History Month for the past 30 years, consistently hosting events that have allowed students to participate into this worldwide discussion. If you are curious about how we celebrated Black History Month last year, you can find our article here. This month, we are excited to continue endorsing this movement, and we hope you can reflect on the significant role the Black community has played in shaping our shared culture.

This BHM’s theme, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, will sound familiar to many of you in our student cohort. You might want to ask yourself how we narrate, remember, and perpetrate history. It also helps us to reflect critically on cultural memory: what stories are told about Black history in the UK, and by whom?

How have we been learning about Black lives and livelihoods, from our history books to daily conversations? Whether you are deeply passionate about this subject, or simply curious to know about the power of stories and owning your voice, we hope you will enjoy taking part in the many events and discussion groups around London this October.

At KCLSU, we want to help you find out how you can engage with this topic, and contribute to it with your own, unique voice. 

To familiarize yourself with the concept of BHM, we invite you to head to the Senate House Library (if you didn’t know before, this will be a very helpful study spot for your cramming sessions!). On the fourth floor, you will find a display of essays, works of fiction, and other books from their Black History Month Panel, where you are bound to find an interesting read. If you’d rather celebrate BHM with a thriving community and you’re in the mood for a movie night, then head to South Lambeth Library for a Black Cinema Club Special on 15 October. The event includes an after-film discussion and is completely free to attend! You can find more information through this link. For more KCLSU events related to Black History Month as well as the events around London - click here. 

We hope you will celebrate Black History Month with us with curiosity, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. Keep an eye out on the KCLSU Blog to read more about this month’s theme, BHM initiatives around London, and so much more. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReclaimingNarrativesBHM to tell your own story!