With a full programme of events, City St George’s explored the theme of Reclaiming Narratives during Black Futures Month this year.
By Katie Hoggan (Communications Officer (Corporate)), Published
This year marked the third annual celebration of Black Futures Month at City St George’s, University of London.
As a celebration of the joy and wholeness of the Black experience, Black culture and Black heritage- the month of October was an opportunity for staff and students to reflect on the positive contributions and narratives of Black people.
The theme of this year’s celebrations was ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, underscoring a commitment to correct historical inaccuracies and showcase the untold success stories and full complexity of Black heritage.
Championing Black excellence and the unity of shared Black joy
While a range of inspiring and thought-provoking events took place in October to honour Black Futures Month, City St George’s is committed year-round to creating a culture which values the diversity of its students, staff and all its community.
The celebrations have continued into December, with a Black Futures closing event taking place this week with staff and students reflecting and commemorating together.
The festivities began in early October with events taking place across all City St George’s campuses.
Black Futures Month Events
In Tooting, these included an ‘Inclusive Education Black Futures Month’ coffee morning and a tour of the area hosted by The Inclusive Education Forum.
The guided walk celebrated the rich Black history of Tooting, with staff and students wandering through the hometown of jazz legend Sadie Crawford and learning about the historic recording studio on Mitcham Road.
A meet and greet event for Black and Black mixed ethnicity students took place in the Clerkenwell campus. Kenny Imafidon, entrepreneur, social commentator and author of The Peckham Boy, delivered a keynote speech at the event and took part in a Q&A with students.
Commenting on the event, Lauren Regan, Digital Literacies Coordinator, Learning Enhancement and Development (LEaD), said:
"We had nearly 70 Black and Black mixed ethnicity students attend the event. Students who attended received a copy of Kenny's book, heard him share his story and had the chance to ask him questions.
Diversify Your Mind Club
The Office for Institutional Equity & Inclusion hosted a Diversify Your Mind Club event themed around reclaiming Black contributions and narratives.
This space created an opportunity for colleagues to reflect and share the importance of reclaiming narratives as a way of celebrating Black joy and contributions and reclaiming untold stories and histories.
Colleagues across the University’s different campuses could join this online space, reflect on the theme of reclaiming narratives and share and learn from others.
From lectures to open mic nights, the University’s Schools also hosted events as part of Black Futures Month.
Craft Lecture and Reclaiming Narratives
In this year’s Craft Lecture, part of a series of lectures launched by Bayes Business School in 2023 to reflect on topics of inequality and social justice, the links between colonialism and climate change were under the microscope.
At the lecture, Bayes Business School Dean Professor Andre Spicer outlined how the School had taken the difficult decision to drop its association with Sir John Cass in 2021 due to heightened awareness of his involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
He emphasised that the School and university recognised the need to go beyond rebranding – by fostering socially responsible management practices and addressing social inequality.
The annual Craft Lecture and new scholarships for Black students living in Britain were important examples of that, he said. Read more about the Craft Lecture 2024.
In the School of Health and Psychological Sciences (SHPS), Black Futures Month was marked with an event which brought together voices to explore and celebrate Black identity and the journey of reclaiming Black history from a Black-led perspective. Read the full article on the SHPS event.
Reflections
Reflecting on Black Futures Month, Abigail Green, Senior Equality Diversity & Inclusion Officer at City St George’s, said:
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