James Barnor: Accra/London – A Retrospective

With Black History Month running throughout October, it’s the perfect time to deepen our understanding of Black History Month and what to watch to learn more about this important event.

What is Black History Month?

Black History Month was first created in the US and takes place in February to coincide with the births of former President Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass, both of whom played significant roles in helping to end slavery in the US.

In the UK, Black History Month takes place in October, and is intended to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of those with African or Caribbean heritage. It also is a chance to challenge stereotypes and racism towards these communities with a focus on key moments in Black history such as Britain’s colonial past.

To celebrate BHM this October, we’ve rounded up six things you can do, watch and listen to in order to support Black History Month this year…

A Podcast for the listeners | About Race With Reni Eddo-Lodge

Based on Reni Eddo-Lodge’s powerful book about institutionalised racism, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, this podcast is well worth diving back into. Drawing on several chapters from the book, Reni and guests take the conversation one step further, including a discussion on the rise of the far right in Britain to what ‘political Blackness’ means to different generations. Filmed over the last four years, expect to hear from MP Dianne Abbott; comedian Nish Kumar; and actor, rapper and activist Riz Ahmed.

For the readers | Loud Black Girls

If you missed the initial release of this book a few months ago, add it to your Black History Month reading list. Edited by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, and with a foreword from Bernardine Evaristo, Loud Black Girls is an anthology of Black British writing, featuring authors, journalists, actors, activists and artists who explore what it means to exist as Black women in the UK right now. From asking how daughters can be taught to own their voices, to how Black women can reclaim their culinary heritage, 20 women discuss different topics that are important to them.

For the creatives | James Barnor: Accra/London – A Retrospective

The Serpentine is exhibiting a major collection of work by British-Ghanaian photographer James Barnor until Sunday 24th October. Barnor’s career, which spans well over half a century, includes portraits, editorial commissions and images that reflect the experiences of Black people in the UK and Ghana from the early 50s onwards. From 60s fashion shots to portraits of some of the first mixed-race families in the UK, this exhibition is not one to be missed.

Tickets are free.

Kensington Gardens, Kensington, W2 3XA

The movie | Ear For Eye

The BFI is screening a series of films written by and starring Black creatives to celebrate Black History Month. Our pick from the list? Ear For Eye starring Lashana Lynch (No Time To Die) which is available to watch at the BFI Southbank on Saturday 16th October at 8.40pm.

Director and playwright Debbie Tucker has adapted her play, originally shown at Royal Court Theatre back in 2018, for the big screen. The powerful film tells the story of a group of British and American Black characters from different generations navigating their way through today's society. Each has a different perspective on the state of the world, but they all have one thing in common – experiences of racial injustice.

Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XT

A live performance | Is God Is

If you haven’t had a chance to see Aleshea Harris’s award-winning play, now’s the time to do so. Running at Royal Court Theatre in Chelsea until Saturday 23rd October, Is God Is spans several genres, including Greek tragedy, spaghetti western, hip-hop and Afropunk. When a letter arrives from the mother they thought was dead, 21-year-old twins Racine and Anaia travel from America’s South to California to avenge their past and take down anyone who stands in their way. As with every production at Royal Court Theatre, on Mondays every seat in the theatre is £12, otherwise tickets start from £14.

Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW1W 8AS

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