No collection of inspirational black people would be complete without Nelson Mandela, one of the shining lights of this century. Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country’s first black head of state and the first elected [...]

Compiled by Ajoke Adetunji, here is a selection of books written by black British authors. Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez This queer literary debut is a visceral and emotionally searing tale touching on fatherhood, freedom, love and loss across generations. Norman, a Jamaican immigrant, settles in the Black Country in the late 1950s and battles [...]

To mark Black History Month over the past few weeks, I’ve shared UK Black History blogs about some significant periods in British history, but it has struck me that calling them “Black History” blogs is a bit of a misnomer – it’s our shared history, and it’s important that we all understand it and how [...]

This week, we would like to celebrate Black History Month with the voice of Maya Angelou. In her poem ‘Human Family’ she reminds us that despite our differences we are all more similar to one another than we are different. This powerful poem beautifully shows that all people can relate to one another. Maya Angelou [...]

I ended last week’s UK Black History blog with a little profile of Johnny Smythe, who fought in World War Two and went on to become the senior officer aboard the Windrush – which leads me on to this week’s topic. I recognise that my perspective may have its limitations, so in writing these [...]

On Tuesday 27 October at 2pm, BOOST will be hosting a Black History Month webinar. They will be joined by four young people, to discuss their rich culture, and what Black History Month means to them. This is a fantastic opportunity to better understand and learn the past and present of the black community. Have [...]

Evidence-based Mind research shows that young black men are far more likely than others to be diagnosed with severe mental health problems, and are also far more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. However, up until 11 years old, black boys don’t have poorer mental health than others of their age. There [...]

In this week’s UK Black History blog, I’ll be taking a look at the contributions of black soldiers in World War I and World War II. I recognise that my perspective may have its limitations, so in writing these blogs I’ll be drawing upon reliable sources from the internet, and I’ll include links to [...]

As part of the BHM celebration here in The Barnet Group, we would like to publicise the LBB Black History Month Book Club. The book of choice is Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. It follows the lives of 12 characters (mostly black women) in the United Kingdom over the course of several decades. This [...]

Singing is part of black culture all over the world.  I love singing and I have recently re-joined the B.I.G. Choir, which was established in April 2012, in response to demand for a gospel-training choir. [The B.I.G Choir usually meets in Islington and should not be confused with the Big Choir which meets in Barnet!].  [...]