Brighton & Hove Labour For the many, not the few
October is Black History Month in the UK, when we celebrate the continued achievements and contributions of Black people to the UK and around the world.
It’s also a time to recommit to action to tackle racism, reclaim Black history, and ensure Black history is represented and celebrated all year round.
Brighton & Hove City Council is flying the Black History Month flag from Hove and Brighton town halls throughout October.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is ‘Time for Change: Action Not Words’, aiming to get people to come together to make a change for the better.
The campaign is asking for real support from allies to ensure real change. To reset mindsets and support with actions, not words. Seeing something, saying something, not being passive bystanders. Not just at the weekend in the club or playing sports, but on the street, in shops, at work.
There are plenty of events in Brighton & Hove to get involved in this year.
At Jubilee Library the exhibition ‘Projecting Power: Photography as Activism’ is running until 22 October. The project invited participants to use photography to analyse systems of power and explore activism from different angles, from the personal to the political.
In partnership with the Socially Engaged Art Salon (SEAS), the ‘Doing it for Ourselves’ exhibition runs from Monday 24 to Saturday 30 October. The exhibition by Pierre Monnerville pays tribute to LGBTQ+ People of Colour who are helping their communities.
On Sunday 30 October, the council is working with Writing Our Legacy and its creative community to host a free drop-in from 2 to 3.30pm at Jubilee Library.
The session will explore the literary heritage of the Black, Asian and ethnically diverse communities, with members of their Black People of Colour Creatives’ Network sharing their literary inspirations through readings, talks and sharing. You will be invited to share your own literary heroes too. Light refreshments provided.
You can also join the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) in Jubilee Library for the free ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Building the Black Economy’ workshop from 5.15pm to 7.45pm on Tuesday 18 October.
You will hear from 6 inspiring entrepreneurs at various stages in their careers and across a range of industries, as our panel come together to discuss the considerations they took into account when building their businesses and the insights they have learnt along the way.
It’s a free event but there’s limited places, so please register.
A number of other community events are taking place in the city over the month, which include Black history events at the Coopers Cask, 3 Farm Road, Hove, BN3 1 FB including book readings and quizzes, every Thursday in October.
https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/listings/region/south-east/brighton-and-hove/
Council libraries also have specially curated stock throughout Black History Month.
Pop into Jubilee or Hove library to take a look and borrow a book.
You can also browse the online Brighton & Hove library catalogue to see our carefully selected collection to borrow, or download an eBook or eAudiobook from BorrowBox.
Labour’s equalities spokesperson, Cllr Amanda Grimshaw said:
“Black History Month is about celebrating black history, heritage and culture, and the iconic figures that have contributed so much.
“It’s also about so much more. It’s about recommitting to equality and challenging racial injustices. As the theme for this year puts it, it’s a time for change, and it’s about action not words.
“We committed to working towards becoming an anti-racist council and city – we reiterate that commitment this month and we will continue to work with our diverse communities to make real change happen.
“If we’re serious about allyship, it’s Time for Change: Action Not Words.”