This year's theme — Honouring Our Communities
This year's theme for Black History Month is Honouring Our Communities, which asks us to consider the many communities that shape, support and sustain us throughout our lives.
These are the people who help hold our communities together, often without recognition. Whether they are teachers, nurses, volunteers or community leaders, their contributions may not always be visible, but are felt in the support they provide and the sense of belonging they create.
Community has always been central to Black people’s resilience, progress and identity in Britain. This year’s theme is about recognising those contributions and celebrating the people behind them.
At NTU we are committed to being an anti-racist institution and creating a community where everyone feels valued and supported. Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black people, and to inspire learning and action across our university.
Events and initiatives
The Talking Circle – Black Enough, Identity without a rulebook?
Monday 5th October, 4.30 pm - 6.30 pm
- Location: City Global lounge
- Audience: Students
Come ready to think, talk, question and share your perspective on the following questions:
- Who decides whether you are “Black enough”?
- Is Black identity defined by ancestry, nationality, culture, politics, lived experience, or something else entirely?
- Who decides what it means to be Black? Can one shared identity unite people of African descent, or is there room for many different ways of being Black?
Find out more and get involved.
Crafternoon – Black History Month Themed
Wednesday 7th October, 2 pm - 4 pm
- Location: City Global Lounge
- Audience: Staff and Students
Join us for a special workshop with Mellonie Page at the City Global Lounge and celebrate Black History Month by crafting unique clay and fabric portraits of the people who inspire us, honouring identity, heritage, and community.
Find out more and get involved.
Stand Up to Racism Stand
Wednesday 8th October, 11 am - 2 pm
- Location: Newton Alumni Area
- Audience: Staff and Students
Visit the Nottingham Stand Up To Racism stall in the Newton Building (near the coffee kiosk) on Thursday 8th October between 11 am and 2 pm. Come along to learn more about the group and how you can take part in anti-racist activity in Nottingham.
There will be other events taking place across the City during BHM, including a further series of events during Hate Crime Awareness Week from Sat 10th – Sat 17th October cumulating in a Love, Hope & Unity Festival at Himmah Hub (opposite the Forest Recreation Ground tram stop) which Stand Up To Racism is promoting jointly with other local organisations.
The Talking Circle – What conversations do Black students need, but rarely have the space to have?
Monday 12th October, 4.30pm-6.30pm
- Location: City Global Lounge
- Audience: Students
The Talking Circle is a welcome space for Black students to come together and speak openly about the issues that matter to them. This is an opportunity to come as you are, share as much or as little as you wish, and help shape the conversations that Black students want to have.
Find out more and get involved.
Hate Crime Research Group Webinar: Anti-colonialism, Abolition and the Nationalist Backlash
Tuesday 13th October, 1 pm - 2pm
- Location: Online
- Audience: Staff and Students
While 2020 saw the largest anti-racist protests in British history, 2024 has seen fascism attempt to reclaim the streets. In this lecture, Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper explores how contrasting critiques of racial crisis have come to be positioned against one another, and considers the role of liberal centrism in the rise of both radical anti-racism and radical nationalism.
Join the Hate Crime Research Group webinar.
Meet Jackie P
Wednesday 14th October, 1 pm - 2 pm
- Location: Clifton Global Lounge
- Audience: Students
Open to all NTU students, join Jackie P for an inspiring session exploring her 15+ year journey in radio, television, live events, and community leadership. Discover how creativity, confidence, and communication can open doors in any career.
Find out more and get involved.
Crafternoon – Black History Month Themed
Wednesday 14th October, 2 pm - 4 pm
- Location: City and Clifton Global Lounges
- Audience: Staff and Students
Unleash your creativity and indulge in a relaxing and mindful crafting experience. Each session features a unique theme, ranging from traditional crafts to contemporary art forms.
Talking about Race: Building confidence for meaningful conversations
Wednesday 21st October, 12 noon – 1:30 pm
- Location: Online
- Audience: Staff
This interactive online workshop is designed to help participants develop greater confidence, fluency, and competence when discussing race and racism. Through guided discussion and reflection, participants will increase their understanding of race-related terminology and explore how concepts such as privilege, advantage, and societal norms can shape our experiences and perspectives.
The session will examine the distinction between being non-racist and actively anti-racist, encouraging participants to consider how everyday actions can contribute to more inclusive and equitable environments. Participants will also learn how to engage in conversations about race in ways that foster psychological safety, openness, and constructive dialogue, helping both themselves and others feel more comfortable exploring these topics.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have practical tools, increased confidence, and a stronger foundation for continuing their learning journey beyond the session, recognising that understanding race and racism is an ongoing process of reflection, growth, and action.
Find out more and get involved. NTU staff login required.
Kente Crafts with The Kente Master
Wednesday 21st October, 2 pm - 4 pm
- Location: Clifton Global lounge
- Audience: Staff and Students
Discover the beauty and significance of Kente cloth in our Kente Master Craft Workshop. Learn about the rich cultural heritage behind this iconic African textile in a fun, hands-on, creative environment.
Meet Jackie P
Wednesday 28th October, 1 pm - 2 pm
- Location: City Global lounge
- Audience: Students
Open to all NTU students, join Jackie P for an inspiring session exploring her 15+ year journey in radio, television, live events, and community leadership. Discover how creativity, confidence, and communication can open doors in any career.
A range of self-guided creative activities open to everyone which can be completed at their own pace throughout the month.
Thursday 1 October - Friday 30 October, 9 am - 5 pm
- Location: City and Clifton Global Lounges
- Audience: Students
Throughout Black History Month, all students are invited to take part in a range of self-guided creative activities designed to celebrate Black history, culture, achievements, and aspirations.
Find out more and get involved.
Vote for your most inspiring scientist
Deadline of 31st October
- Audience: NTU students and staff
We are encouraging NTU students and staff to investigate the stories of Scientists of minority ethnic heritage. All these scientists were nominated by students of the School of Science and Technology and their stories can be found here.
Voting is open until midnight on Saturday 31 October 2026, with the winners announced early the next week.
What's more, by voting and entering their student number, NTU students will be entered into the draw to win Amazon vouchers. They’ll also have the opportunity to get involved in other diversity linked projects throughout the year with fellow students and colleagues.
To discover more about some of the stories have a look at this curated collection of books in our library.
Black History Month — Curated library collection
To mark Black History Month, NTU Library has curated a collection of resources that celebrate the histories, cultures, achievements and contributions of Black communities.
Through books, journals, films, and online content, the collection supports learning, inspires conversation, and encourages engagement with diverse perspectives and experiences.
Featured titles include:
- Black Britain: a photographic history by Paul Gilroy
- Small Island by Andrea Levy
- How to be black by Baratunde Thurston
- Britain's black past by Gretchen Gerzina
Explore the collection (NTU login required).
Inspiring academics and students
NLS undergraduate awarded Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship
Rakeem Kamara has become the sixth Nottingham Law School undergraduate to be awarded a prestigious Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship.
Chinyere Williams
Chinyere Williams, Lecturer in Forensic Toxicology, is a member of NTU’s University Shadow Executive Team (USET).
To mark Black History Month (BHM) in 2023, we spent 5 minutes with Chinyere to find out more about her thoughts on the BHM theme and who has inspired her the most in her life.
Deladem Ohenewaa Mensah
Deladem Ohenewaa Mensah is a PhD student at NTU’s Nottingham Law School, focusing on restorative justice. To mark Black History Month in 2023, Deladem shared more about what inspired her studies and how she’s overcome the challenges she’s faced along the way.
Year-round recognition
Celebration and awareness days, weeks and months provide valuable opportunities to learn and reflect. However, our commitment to EDI extends beyond these dedicated dates.
Explore the events, opportunities and resources available throughout the year, which continue to raise awareness and support the themes recognised through our awareness calendar.
African Cultural Taster Event (City)
Monday 14 September, 1pm to 4pm
- Audience: Staff and Students
- Location: Global Lounge, City Campus
African Cultural Taster Event (Clifton)
Tuesday 15 September, 1pm to 4pm
- Audience: Staff and Students
- Location: Global Lounge, Clifton Campus
Come and join us at this African Cultural Taster Event to chat with students from African diasporas; enjoy traditional snacks and music; and learn more about different African countries and cultures.
No booking is required. You can drop in and out whenever suits you.
Craft Workshop with Mellonie Page
Thursday 26 November, 12pm to 2pm
- Audience: Students
- Location: Global Lounge, City Campus
Join New Art Exchange artist Mellonie Page in this free African-inspired jewellery making workshop. All materials will be provided, and there's no need to book. Just drop by and join in.
Preserving our legacy: Black history beyond October
In 2023 we invited Panya Banjoko and Professor Sharon Monteith from NTU’s School of Social Sciences onto the Re:search Re:imagined podcast to reflect on the significance of Black History Month and their research into black legacy and heritage.
Their remarkable efforts include revealing untold narratives of Black Activism, both in the United States and closer to home in Nottingham. By bringing to light heroic stories of lecturers, poets, and orators, Panya and Sharon are working to preserve their histories and inspire the next generation.
Code Switch is an award-winning podcast that has candid conversations about race, ethnicity and identity across politics, pop culture, history and everything in between.
As the name suggests, Black History Year champions the accomplishments and spotlights the struggles of Black history, all year round. It’s not one to miss and teaches listeners about the touchstones of Black history that have often been left out of the textbooks, with insights from experts, historians and activists shared in an accessible and engaging way.
The Black History Month UK resources provide educational materials, articles, profiles and activities that can support learning throughout the year.
These resources offer a useful starting point for exploring Black history, culture and achievement beyond October and helping to ensure conversations about Black history continue throughout the year.
Hidden Voices was launched in 2023 to spotlight the unsung voices and perspectives often overlooked or underrepresented across different subject areas. This collection brings together books and articles by authors from historically marginalised backgrounds, recommended by NTU staff and students in support of the campaign.
Staff networks and student societies
Staff networks
If you're a member of NTU staff, you can join one of our staff networks. They provide opportunities to connect with colleagues and help shape a more inclusive university community.
Examples include:
- REACH (Race, Equality and Cultural Heritage) Network (link requires NTU staff login)
- Other networks supporting a range of protected characteristics and communities (link requires NTU staff login)
Student societies
If you're an NTU student, you may be interested in joining one of the Students' Union societies that celebrate identity and community, including:
These societies offer opportunities to meet new people, celebrate diverse cultures, and take part in events and activities throughout the year.
You can find out more about student societies through the Nottingham Trent Students' Union website.
Race equality initiatives at NTU
Black Leadership Programme
NTU's Black Leadership Programme is a collaboration between Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Nottingham Trent Students’ Union (NTSU). The programme is designed to empower students to gain confidence and become resilient leaders through a series of hands-on events and community-building activities.
Race Equality Charter
Equality, diversity and inclusion at NTU
NTU is dedicated to working to strategically advance equality, diversity and inclusion, and to support a culture of engagement underpinned by respect.
The University currently holds an Athena Swan Silver Award (gender equality). We are continually advancing our work under the Race Equality Agenda. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion (LGBT) and a Disability Confident Employer.
NTU colleagues have access to an 'Anti-Racism and White Privilege' learning module as part of their essential learning, and an 'Understanding Racism' learning module is available to all NTU students. Both offer the opportunity to explore and build an understanding of what racism is, and how it can be positively combated.
If you have a general question for the EDI team at NTU, please email us.
Get involved
Tag us with the following hashtags to share your involvement in Black History Month!
#BlackHistoryMonth #BHM2026
As a university, we are proud to be progressive and inclusive, as we all have a part to play in tackling racism. For anyone who would like to educate themselves, we recommend these articles, which may help you as part of your journey.
If you would like to advertise an event, please contact EDI@ntu.ac.uk.