Black History Month starts today and this year its theme is “Time for Change: Action not words”

From the Black History Month UK website:

To get to a better tomorrow, we can’t just focus on the past. The past is in the past. We can acknowledge and learn from it, but to improve the future, we need action, not words. We need to come together around a shared common goal to achieve a better world for everyone.

This year’s Black History Month in October is more important than ever. It’s not just a month to celebrate the continued achievements and contributions of Black people to the UK and around the world. It’s also a time for continued action to tackle racism, reclaim Black history, and ensure Black history is represented and celebrated all year round.

For those of us looking to be better allies, the message is clear:

Being an ally means moving beyond short-term or performative gestures and taking real, long-term action. In the workplace, in places of education and learning, and in the public sphere, this means having policies in place that achieve real outcomes.  As an individual, it means actually practising what you preach. In the wake of 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests, many organisations and individuals committed to tackling racism.

This was done around the world by taking the time to learn about the black experience and additionally, in the UK, this included learning about the historical legacy of colonialism and slavery. That was an important step forward, but it won’t fundamentally change institutional racism today.A number of recent reports have called out racism across a range of sectors, from international aid and education to healthcare and policing. As a society, we all know there is a problem with institutional racism. Now we need to work together to tackle it.

Stonewall have produced a really good guide on being a good ally to black LGBT+ people.

Lib Dem AM Hina Bokhari set out what Black History Month means to her:

#BlackHistoryMonth has always meant the same for me. It’s about learning. As a teacher and a mum, I know our kids are learning everyday. So let’s keep promoting the @CurriculumBlack and make it integral in all our schools. #TBH365 pic.twitter.com/Bl6EszOnDx

— Hina Bokhari AM 🔶 (@HinaBokhariLD) October 1, 2022

There were greetings from the Lib Dem Campaign for Racial Equality.

To All who respect and celebrate the month of October as #Blackhistorymonth2022
From our Chair @thedoctorkhan & the entire @LDCRE1 @LibDems Executive & membership. #HappyBlackHistoryMonth #BHM2022 pic.twitter.com/V99Qzf6ZSM

— Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality (@LDCRE1) October 1, 2022

We would welcome articles which educate and celebrate black history at any time. See our guidance for contributors here.