The marking of Black History Month started in 1987 in the UK and has been celebrated annually in October ever since then. Black History Month is a national celebration that aims to promote and celebrate the contributions of those with African and Caribbean heritage to British society and to foster an understanding of Black history in general.

This is my first time living in a country that celebrates Black History Month. It was exciting to see the many events and activities the university had planned to celebrate this month. There were events planned by the Students Union in coordination with various clubs and societies. There were also talks, lectures and discussions planned by the university faculties, as well as events from Guildford School of Acting.

I was lucky enough to attend two of these events, Black History Month concert held by Guildford School of Acting as well as a screening and discussion of the movie “Hidden Figures”. I thought it would be fun to would share my experiences with you.

The screening of the movie “Hidden Figures” was organized by my faculty, the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Now I was really excited for this one because this movie had been in my to-watch list for a long, long time. This movie, based on a true story is about three female African American mathematicians who play a pivotal role in NASA’s launch into orbit while dealing with racial and gender discrimination at work.

I had never watched a movie in a lecture theatre before and I was surprised at how cozy the whole affair was. When the lights went out and the movie got started, it felt like so similar to a cinema experience, I regretted not bringing some popcorn. I personally really enjoyed the movie, but what I enjoyed even more was the discussion which took place afterwards. Before the movie, the coordinators and facilitators from the faculty had stated that we would be having a discussion afterwards and to note some discussion points in our brains while watching the movie. I had never watched a movie with the intent of analysing it, so that was also an interesting and novel experience for me.  

The discussion was held between the very diverse members of the audience which consisted of students and university faculty staff to lecturers. The discussion revolved around whether the movie was watered down too much by Hollywood to satisfy a wider audience or was it an accurate and honest portrayal of the racism and bias faced by the protagonists, with hard-hitting messages. The discussion was lively with the audience sharing their experiences dealing with different prejudices today and how they differ from those faced by the protagonists in the movie. Intersectional feminism was highlighted. Discussions about how outright racism in the 60’s have become double standards and micro aggressions today were also enlightening.

The event ended with some delicious Afro-Caribbean food. It was my first-time eating Jollof rice loaded with goat curry and a side of fried plantains, and I absolutely loved it! The flavours were loud and bold and felt very similar to the South Asian flavours I love.

The second event I attended was the Black History Month concert held by Guildford School of Acting which took place at the Ivy Arts Center. I arrived at the Bellairs Theatre and pretty soon the place was packed. The atmosphere was electric, and you could tell the whole audience was very excited for the evening ahead. The concert comprised of individual vocal performances as well as band performances and a spoken work piece. The spoken word performance was about the lived experience of a young black man in Britain and the microaggressions and double standards he has to face. The performance was very powerful with the audience hooked on his every word, and he got a full standing ovation. It was one of my favourite performances.

Other highlight performances for me included a rendition of “I’d rather go blind” by Etta James, “Lately” by Stevie Wonder and the final performance of “No Scrubs” by TLC which had the whole audience dancing and singing along. The whole event felt like a wholesome celebration, and I thoroughly loved it!

All in all, I really learned a lot and enjoyed from the events I participated in. The presenter at the concert ended with saying even though the concert was over we should carry the principles of Black History month with us for the whole year, and I agree whole-heartedly.