Laura Scaife
As many of you are aware, October marks Black History Month in the UK. The University of Nottingham (UoN) is working with Ife Oyedeji and the BME Network to hold events throughout October to celebrate our diverse community in Nottingham.
Black History Month began in 1987, and was founded by Ansell Wong and Linda Bellos who wrote that she “had long argued for the inclusion of our struggles and triumphs in Britain having been a critic of the constant erasure of our people from British history”. This year’s theme is “Time for Change: Action Not Words” and aims to not just focus on the past but also continue “to tackle racism, reclaim Black history and ensure Black History is represented and celebrated all year round”.
Ife Oyedeji posted a message on the Liberation Officers Instagram page asking black students to “celebrate yourself, celebrate your community, and most importantly rest”. She also urged non-black students to create space to question biases and beliefs and to show willingness to support people of colour instead of fearing misunderstandings.
On Wednesday 12th October there will be a Black History Month Carnival
There are lots of events to get involved in this month at UoN to both celebrate black history and black culture, providing entertainment as well as an opportunity for students to learn. For example on Wednesday 12th October there will be a Black History Month Carnival in the marquee just outside the Trent building. You will have the opportunity to watch live music, performances, and stalls from an array of cultural, faith and performance based societies; as well as try food from around the world, kindly provided by locally owned businesses. There is also a `Am I Enough?` Wellbeing Seminar where Toluwa Oyeleye; TedX speaker and wellbeing coach, will provide a “highly interactive seminar that will cover self-worth, self-love and self-confidence”. Other than the BME Network, many other societies across the university will also be hosting events as well. PhilosophySoc for example, will be running an event to highlight the often overlooked contributions made by Black philosophers within the field.
These are just a selection of the many amazing events happening throughout the month at the university, for more information visit the SU website here.
Laura Scaife
Featured image courtesy of @OladimejiOdunsi via Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article image courtesy of @uonsu_liberation via Instagram.com. No changes were made to this image
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