October 2022 marks the UK’s 35th annual Black History Month. Every year, it brings people together to celebrate the UK’s rich Black history and culture and advocate for change. This year’s theme is Time for Change: Action Not Words, which focuses on encouraging allies to take action. Check out our best Black History Month event ideas for inspiration on organising your own to inspire and empower.
Black History Month events
Many Black History Month events focus on helping people develop a better understanding of Black history. Others are geared around advocating for positive change, through the empowerment of Black people or raising awareness of issues such as systemic racism. While UK Black History Month is inspired by its sister event in the USA, Britain and America have distinct and different Black cultures and histories. Make sure any event you organise reflects UK Black history and culture by, for example, booking Black British speakers or performers, showcasing Black-owned British businesses, and focusing on Black history within the UK.
If you’re organising events to celebrate Black History Month, it’s important to do so in a relevant and culturally sensitive way. Include Black creators from the start and let them recommend which issues to highlight. Make sure your event is diverse by encompassing a range of Black experiences. And showcase Black-owned businesses wherever possible, from the performers to the caterers.
Where possible, make sure Black people with lived experience of Black British culture are heavily involved in the event planning process. If this isn’t something you have experience or knowledge of, why not link up with a Black cultural organisation in your area? For more information and resources, check out the official UK Black History Month organisation.
Empowering Black cultural events: CURLYTREATS
CURLYTREATS is an annual festival celebrating natural Black hair and the history and culture surrounding it. It takes place during Black History Month and is held across several major UK cities. The festival includes education about the role of Afro hair throughout Black history, seminars and workshops focused on hair care and styling, film screenings, and creative sessions.
How it started
CURLYTREATS was launched in 2013 by Vinna Best. The aim? To create a space where Black women and girls could celebrate their natural Afro hair and learn how to care for and style it. Decades of discrimination against Afro hair in the UK meant that many Black women and girls did not have access to the skills and knowledge to wear their hair naturally. By providing education and access to a wide range of products, CURLYTREATS seeks to remind Black women and girls that their natural hair – and the heritage that comes with it – is something to be proud of.
The theme for CURLYTREATS 2022 is Black Hair Stories. Attendees are invited to discover Black history through the lens of Black cultural hairstyles, with lots of opportunities to link it to their own lived experiences.
Inspiring Black cultural events
Like many BHM events, CURLYTREATS seeks to go beyond Black History Month and change the everyday lives of Black women and girls by giving them confidence in their natural hair. They achieve this by providing attendees with the tools to love their natural hair and its links to their culture and heritage. Some of these tools are practical – like styling workshops and product recommendations.
Bringing the past into the present
One of CURLYTREATS’ founding principles is Sankofa, or taking the best of the past and applying it to the present and future. CURLYTREATS seeks to do this through hair-based empowerment, but many other Black History Month events apply the same principle in different ways. With this year’s BHM theme of Time for Change: Action Not Words, many events aim to inspire progress beyond Black History Month.
Building a better future
At its heart, CURLYTREATS is all about bringing members of Black communities together to inspire and empower one another. By tapping into issues surrounding Afro hair, CURLYTREATS unites people and opens up space for inspiration. Focusing on a shared experience is a great way to get event attendees together to learn from one another.
Informative & inspirational Black community events from our creators
From business events to cultural celebrations, Eventbrite creators are heading up some of the UK’s best events to celebrate Black History Month.
Empowered to Lead Conference
Hosted by the community She Leads for Legacy, the Empowered to Lead Conference is an event for Black female professionals and allies. It’s aimed at anyone who wants to take action to help Black women gain senior leadership roles. Attendees will explore how individuals and organisations can create more inclusive and diverse workplaces through a mixture of specialist masterclasses and workshops. The conference also provides attendees with ample opportunity to network with other Black female professionals and allies, and a wide range of Black-owned businesses.
Black History Activity Books Expo
Riding on the success of two previous events, the 2022 Black History Activity Books Expo, held in Birmingham, expects to be the biggest Black cultural event in Europe this year. The event aims to build solidarity and support Black-owned businesses by celebrating European Black history. Over 7,000 attendees will be entertained by special guest speakers from the UK and around the world, engage with over 200 exhibitors, and celebrate Black history and culture. There are music and dance performances, food vendors, a fashion show, workshops and seminars, and even a children’s zone. The Black History Activity Books Expo brings people together to celebrate and learn about Black history and culture in whatever way suits them.
UK Black Business Show 2022
The UK Black Business Show inspires Black business owners and offers opportunities for networking and personal and professional development. Workshops, panels, and seminars led by industry pioneers highlight the achievements and contributions of Black businesses and inspire and equip attendees to push themselves or their companies to the next level. Confirmed speakers include entrepreneur, CEO, and business coach Izzy Obeng, writer and Channel 4 host Chanté Joseph, and award-winning DJ Trevor Nelson MBE.
Black Culture Market
Taking place over two days this October, the Black Culture Market is a major community event that showcases a broad range of businesses and entrepreneurs. Every business trading at a Black Culture Market event is Black-owned and run. Products on sale range from food and drink to artwork, books, clothes, and homewares. Previous events have been held in various venues across the UK, helping Black businesses drive up footfall and attendees engage with Black heritage and culture.
African Women Resistance Leaders: Political and Spiritual Online Course
Held entirely online, the African Women Resistance Leaders: Political and Spiritual Online Course is an educational opportunity organised by the historical education group Black History Walks. They deliver a variety of events centred around Black history, including films, tours, and workshops. Black History Walks has also sponsored the creation and installation of over 10 blue plaques commemorating Black historical figures such as London’s first Black mayor, John Archer, and American activist Sarah Parker Remond.
Course attendees will learn about a number of African and Caribbean women who have fought against racism and colonialism over the last 400 years. Topics covered include:
- Pre-colonial African religion
- Black women’s resistance in literature
- The interaction of African culture and modern films
Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn from one another, as well as the course tutors.
Be inspired to create your own Black History Month events
When it comes to bringing people together to celebrate and learn about Black history and culture, there’s a wealth of different Black History Month event ideas to choose from. Sign up to Eventbrite to get started with planning your Black History Month events today.
