Black History Month '20
Celebrating Black History Month at the University of Plymouth
Black history month
Black History Month 2020
Black History Month takes place in October and the University of Plymouth is proud to support this celebration of black achievements in the UK with a month-long season of virtual events. In the wake of Covid-19 and the senseless murder of people of colour across the world, Black History Month is more important than ever and University of Plymouth celebrations this month go hand-in-hand with our response to Black Lives Matter and our plan to tackle systemic racial inequalities in the Higher Education sector.
The origins of Black History Month go back to the United States in 1920, and nearly 100 years later this worldwide event still takes place annually and the UK marks Black History Month in October every year. This month is a time for everyone to come together to celebrate Black contributions to British society, as well as fostering a greater understanding of Black history.
"Dig deeper, look closer, think bigger."
Celebrations this year will look a little different to previous years with no large gatherings or big celebrations but this pandemic will not stop us from celebrating black history month across the UK. Check out the official Black History Month webpages as the national team share introductions and their inspiring message for Black History month 2020 in the wake of covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement.
B:M 2020 Official Introductions
Black Lives Matter resources (FREDA)
FREDA activities are congruent with the Black Lives Matter movement. ‘#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer.
The death of George Floyd in 2020 has brought BAME and White people together under the BLM banner, with protests highlighting longstanding issues over the treatment of Black people and the extent of institutional racism. FREDA has put together these resources to help focus our learning, linking to inequalities we have also seen from how Covid-19 is disproportionally affecting People of Colour.
Podcasts
Dismantling White Fragility: Robin DiAngelo’s asks us to question what we think we know about racism, the conversations we avoid having and the roles we might be playing in upholding inequality
Racism Cont'd - What a Day: Akilah Hughes breaks down the biggest news stories of the day with precision and humour.
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge: Featuring key voices from the last few decades of anti-racist activism.
Good Ancestor: Anti-racism educator Layla F. Saad features in-depth interviews with ‘change-makers & culture-shapers’.
Films and video
13th: a documentary taking an in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequalityI Am Not Your Negro: directed by Raoul Peck and written by James Baldwin telling the story of race in modern America
What happens when I try to talk race with white people: Renni Eddo-Lodge offers her brief but spectacular take on talking to white people about race and responding when people tell her they don’t see race
White People, Enough: A Look at Power and Control: in this TED talk Jaelyn Coates identifies the impact of racism on relationships