Black History Month at Oxford

Reclaiming Narratives: The Inspiring Theme for Black History Month 2024

The University's programme will once again bring together events, resources and initiatives for the general public, staff, students and alumni.

Here you can find out more about the events that have been planned by the collegiate University, throughout October and beyond...

Further reading:

The University’s Chief Diversity Officer, Tim Soutphommasane, reflects on the theme of this year’s observance and our progress on our commitments for race equality: Black History Month 2024 | Equality and Diversity Unit (ox.ac.uk).

Meet Professor Anthony Reddie, Professor of Black Theology and Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture: Reflections on becoming a Black Liberation theologian | Equality and Diversity Unit (ox.ac.uk).

Events open to all

The following events and talks are open to members of the public as well as University staff and students...

Kellogg College Black History Month Lecture 2024

October 15 (17:30-19:00)
Kellogg College (the Hub), 60-62 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PN
Free event

Join us in the Hub at Kellogg College for our fourth annual Black History Month lecture to be given by Professor Uzo Iwobi CBE, FLSW, FRSA titled: Overcoming barriers and achieving your full potential – a personal journey.

This lecture will focus on the journey of a lawyer and antiracist practitioner who is a champion of Adult Learning and Professional Development who arrived in the UK as a migrant in 1993. It covers her experiences of racism, overcoming obstacles, personal and professional development to becoming the first Black African Commissioner to the Commission of Racial Equality, the First Black African Specialist Policy Adviser on Equalities to the Welsh Government and a trustee to the UALL. This lecture will challenge listeners to strive to achieve their full potential and explore themes of the impact of adult learning and resilience in the face of difficulties. As Cicily Tyson says: 'Dare to Dream, Audacious Dreams'.

Find out more: Black History Month annual lecture - Kellogg College (ox.ac.uk)
Book tickets: Black History Month Annual Lecture Tickets | Eventbrite

Reception and talk with Ronald Crutcher President Emeritus

October 22 (17:00-18:30)
The Langford Room, Lincoln College

Please join the Rector as he welcomes President Emeritus Ronald A Crutcher for a reception and talk. President Emeritus Crutcher will be discussing his book I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership. There will be a drinks reception from 5-5:30pm in the Langford Room followed by a talk by President Emeritus Crutcher. We hope you will join us for an interesting and engaging evening.

To book a ticket, please click here.
Find out more: Events : Black History Month | Lincoln College Oxford

Hidden Figures

October 24 (16:00-18:30) 
Said Business School, Park End Street, Oxford

The award-winning film Hidden Figures featuring the true story of three female iconoclasts who contributed to the NASA Moon landing will be screened at Said Business School to mark Black History Month. Children and families welcome! There will also be a children's film Migration screened in a separate room. This is an Oxford Said EDI-HROD event. 

If you wish to attend, please email: [email protected]

Watch the trailer of Hidden Figures:

Talk and Piano Performance by Dr Samantha Ege

October 29 (17:00-19:00)
The Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College

Combining a mix of lecture and piano performance, Samantha Ege brings the story of the South Side impresarios to life. She delves into the ways that Chicago's early 20th-century Race women (i.e., Black women intellectuals and creatives committed to the entwined tasks of racial uplift and gender equality) operated out of their South Side base and shaped a new vision for classical music that transformed the city and beyond. There will be a drinks reception in the Langford from 5-5:30pm followed by the talk and performance in the Oakeshott Room from 5:30-6:30pm.

To book a ticket, please click here. You can purchase Dr Ege’s book ahead of the event by visiting here.
Find out more: Events : Black History Month | Lincoln College Oxford

St John's Black History Month Lecture 2024 

October 31 (5pm-7pm)
Auditorium, Garden Quad, St John's College

Dr Christienna D. Fryar will give this year's Black History Month Lecture at St John's College, which will examine Fears of Jim Crow: Jamaica at the Dawn of the American Century.

Dr Fryar is a writer and independent historian of modern Britain, the British Empire, and the modern Caribbean. After taking a Ph.D in History at Princeton University, she lectured at Duke University, SUNY Buffalo State, the University of Liverpool, and Goldsmiths, University of London. At Goldsmiths, Dr Fryar created and convened the MA in Black British History, the first taught Masters' degree of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Since leaving academia in 2023, Dr Fryar has been researching and writing her monograph, Entangled Lands: A Caribbean History of Britain, set to be published by Allen Lane/University of California Press in 2025. In 2020, she was named a BBC New Generation Thinker and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio.

Find out more: St John's Black History Month Lecture 2024 | St John's College, Oxford
Book tickets: St John's Black History Month Lecture 2024 Tickets | Eventbrite

Dr Christienna D. Fryar will give this year's Black History Month Lecture at St John's College

Empowering Black Students: Building an Inclusive Campus Experience at Oxford University

November 1 (16:00-17:15)
Hosted by the Faculty of Law
Venue: Manor Road Lecture Theatre, Manor Road Building, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1 3UQ

Are you a Black student at Oxford? Do you have any responsibility for ensuring the welfare of students at college, Department, Division or University level? If so, please join us for this year's Black History Month Lecture with Melissa Browne, Deputy Director of Commercial Services and Estates at the University of Kent.

As institutions of higher learning become more diverse, it's crucial we understand the unique challenges Black students face during their transition to university life. As such, Melissa shares her insights and thoughts on how we can create an experience at Oxford that truly supports Black students' academic dreams and sense of belonging.

Highlighting best practices from her 15+ years of experience in Higher Education Institutions, as well as her recent appointment as Living Black at University Commissioner, this presentation will explore actionable strategies that universities can implement to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment. She will delve into the importance of tailored orientation programs, the role of cultural celebration, and the significance of community-building in both living and learning environments. She will stress how prioritising diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can positively impact Black students' mental health and academic success and discuss how the University of Oxford can lead the way in creating a more equitable and supportive campus experience.

Find out more: Empowering Black Students: Building an Inclusive Campus (ox.ac.uk)

Keep checking back to this webpage, as more events will be added as we are made aware of them.

If you are organising a University or College event you would like included here, please email the details to [email protected]