Black History Month
At Kingston, we have a strong commitment to improving the experiences of our Black students and staff.
Black History Month at Kingston
Standing Firm in Power and Pride
At Kingston University, we are proud to champion equality and diversity. Every year we encourage our students and staff to take time to reflect, celebrate and champion the rich history and legacy of Black Britons both past and present.
Although Black history, and the significant achievements and contributions of people from the African Diaspora to British Society should be acknowledged all year round, Black History Month serves as an opportunity to directly draw attention to this and to challenge the systems that allow racial inequality to exist in our society.
Take time to reflect, celebrate and champion Black history
Black History Month invites us to inspire and educate our community through a fresh look at Black history and excellence. This year's theme is Standing Firm in Power and Pride.
We proudly join the celebration of Black History Month under the theme ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride.’ It’s a powerful reminder of the strength and brilliance that our Black staff and students bring to our organisation and society at large.
At Kingston University our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion means recognising the lived experiences of our staff and students, amplifying their voices, and creating a safe space for reflection, dialogue, and celebration. Whether through storytelling, or simply taking time to learn, we all have a role to play in honouring this legacy. Let’s stand firm together in allyship and action.
This October, Kingston University celebrates Black History Month, a time to recognise the resilience, achievements, and contributions of our colleagues, students, and wider communities. Organised by the BAME Network, our events and discussions will explore this year’s theme: ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’. We aim to inspire dialogue, amplify voices, and reaffirm our commitment to equity, inclusion, and representation for BAME staff and students. We encourage all staff and students to take part, reflect, and join us in celebrating excellence, culture, and achievement across our university.
Resources to explore during Black History Month
- Black History Month UK official website.
- BBC Alt History: Writer and historian David Olusoga presents a series of short films exploring critical moments in Black British history from 1919 that have been forgotten or rarely discussed.
- TED talks: How to recognise your white privilege – and use it to fight inequality – Peggy McIntosh, Anti-racism activist, scholar.
- TED talks: The Danger of a Single Story – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (PDF).
- Black Cultural Archives: Telling the story of the Black British experience.
Reading list suggestions for Black History Month
- Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman.
- Resisting Racism: Race, Inequality and the Black Supplementary School Movement by Kehinde Andrews.
- White: Essays on Race and Culture by Richard Dyer.
- Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain by Peter Fryer.
- How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
- Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge.
Students and staff can find a wider list of resources and suggested readings by logging into the iCat online library with their Kingston University username and password.
Black History Month artwork
The Black History Month artwork, shown here, was created by Sustainable Design student, Trusha Oza, who explains her design process:
The BHM branding uses bright colours, and playful and bold typography to represent the joy of decoloniality. The main inspiration behind the design was powerful stories of strength, family, food and culture.
My design process involved working with keywords, creating a visual mood board, sketching and finally working on Adobe Illustrator to create logo options. The design aims to evoke a positive feeling of decolonisation and at the same time show strength in fighting colonialism
Contact us
Need more information?
Contact us to find the right person to reach out to, or call our switchboard on +44 (0)20 8417 9000.
