Is it time for a more integral, Black History 365 approach? Nilgün Yusuf
Black History Month is a time to recognise and celebrate black figures in history who would otherwise be overlooked. It’s where students learn about inspiring figures such as Mary Seacole, the Jamaican British nurse during the Crimean War; Walter Tull, the first black officer to lead white soldiers in World War One; writer, Olaudah Equiano, composer, Ignatius Sacho and political activist Claudia Jones who helped found the Notting Hill Carnival. For students of all backgrounds, it’s often the first time they’ll learn about these significant individuals and their contribution to British society as well as a chance to understand the impact of black culture on wider society, explore the contribution of the Windrush generation, and challenge racist stereotypes.
While Black History Month started in the UK in October 1987 by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a black activist and former refugee who worked with the Greater London Council, the UK was behind the curve. In the US, it started sixty years earlier in 1926 by Carter G Woodson, a child of slaves. Then known as Negro History Week, Woodson objected to this label saying, “It’s not so much a Negro history week as a history week”. He had always hoped it would provide a stepping stone to the broader integration of black history. Astoundingly, a century later, this conversation is still happening. In between, man has been to the moon, but Black History month continues as a month-long box-ticking exercise. Are we now not at a stage of maturity and equity, for black history to be no longer ring-fenced in this way? Shouldn’t it be taught throughout the year and a curriculum with full integration rather than this tokenist approach?
Wales was the first nation in the UK to introduce mandatory changes to the curriculum in 2022 to include more lessons about black history, racism and contributions from Asian and other ethnic groups. Mandatory diversity and anti-racism teacher training became a compulsory aspect for all newly-qualifying and practicing teachers. Professor Charlotte Williams OBE led a specialised working group that deployed authentic teaching materials to accurately represent diverse historical narratives and engender “a sense of belonging and pride” in both teachers and learners. Since then, pupils from minority backgrounds have reported feeling a greater sense of visibility and belonging with all learners better grasping Wales as an ethnically and culturally diverse society.
A revised National Curriculum for England is due to be published next year with the first teaching in 2028. England has committed to reflect the “diversity that makes up our modern society” and history modules will be updated to weave through British, Black and Asian histories, but it favours an approach that is more about “evolution than revolution”. Scotland is already structurally similar to Wales – in fact Wales based its model on that of Scotland – which is deeply committed to inclusive, progressive social education – but continues to refine its curriculum after facing some criticism over falling international PISA rankings (Programme for International Student Assessment). Northern Ireland focuses more on local community needs and favours more fixed than fluid subjects.
But education doesn’t only exist in schools and several councils In London are taking the initiative and pushing forward with a Black History 365 approach. Hackney, Wandsworth and Greenwich have all formally launched BH365 initiatives to state black history is integral to culture and cannot be restricted to a single month. Greenwich for instance has a BH365 Programme managed by a community panel that allocates authority funds for arts, history and heritage across a twelve-month calendar. In Wandsworth, BH365 commissions year-long projects to include intergenerational storytelling, film screenings and dance programmes. While Black History Month has not been abandoned by these boroughs, it’s seen as more a peak season of activity from which to anchor year round cultural funding, education and resources, spreading educational opportunities beyond the school boundaries and into the wider community.
Black History Month, Oct 01 – 31, 2026 offers a wealth of exhibitions, walks, concerts, and talks across the UK. For the full calendar, check Blackhistorymonth.org.uk but highlights include:
Black Classics Symposium, Leicester, 1st October 2026; August Wilson’s Fences. 30 Sept – 03 October; Oxfordshire: Tapestry of Black Britons – African Romans Exhibition, Stirling, 1 October – December 2026; The Black Presence in Georgian Theatre & Music; A special performance featuring music by Ignatius Sancho and Joseph Bolognne at Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare, Sat October 10, 2026; Portrait of Black Britain: Photographic exhibition at the Studios in Manchester throughout October; Black Tudors & Beyond Quest: An interactive walking route to explore hidden black history in the City of London; Slave Money Trail Tour: Walking tours to uncover the financial foundations of the transatlantic slave trade in the capital. Wandsworth Legacy & Hope Concert Pegasus Opera Company at St. Nicholas Church in Tooting on Fri, 09 October 2026 (7.30pm – 9.30pm) for a free evening of music and storytelling to celebrate African and Caribbean heritage; Pioneers of Comedy 2026 – Black History Month Special, at the Hackney Empire honours legendary black British comedians alongside a new generation of performers. Oct 24, 2026