Black History Month 2025

During October, we’re excited to be celebrating Black History Month 2025. This year’s theme is ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride.’ 

The theme focusses on the contributions made by Black people while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity, and growth. 

There are lots of ways you and the people you support can participate in Black History Month. Check out some ideas below. 

1. Explain Black History Month to the people you support using Learning Disability England’s accessible resources. They explore the theme of racism, as told by Black people with support needs, and learn more about the history of the Black Lives Matter movement. Just follow this link: Black History Month – Learning Disability England  
2. 2. Attend an event, or hold your own! The official Black History Month webpage has a fantastic directory of Black History Month events taking place. Click here to see what’s happening in your area.
3. 3. Get involved with our What To Do session on 15th October which is an introduction to Hip Hop with rapper and producer Nutty As well as exploring music and rap, we will be working with Nutty P to showcase the other key elements of Hip Hop culture, including dance, DJing, graffiti and the knowledge that underpins Hip Hop

Don’t forget to share what you’re up to on Viva Engage using the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth2025. We will update this page with any new resources shared by our networks, so keep your eyes peeled! 

Join our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Colleague Inclusion Network 

This is a space for colleagues to come together and ensure our organisation is representative of diverse communities – welcoming members and allies to share their voices. Email ColleagueInclusionNetworks@c-i-c.co.uk to join. 

Recognise Black artists  

• The official Black History Month website recommends a range of books by Black British authors.   

• Oprah Daily recommends 25 books by Black authors to read in your lifetime.  

We recommend some standouts below:  

• Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire (by Akala)  

• Between the World and Me (by Ta-Nehisi Coates)  

• Black and British (by David Olusoga)  

• Swing Time (by Zadie Smith)  

• There Ain’t No Black In the Union Jack (by Paul Gilroy)  

• Sister Outsider (by Audre Lorde)  

• Slay In Your Lane (by Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke)  

• Things Fall Apart (by Chinua Achebe)  

• Who’s Loving You (edited by Sareeta Domingo)  

• How to be an Antiracist (by Ibram X. Kendi)  

• Homecoming (by Yaa Gyasi)  

• Honey and Spice (by Bolu Babalola)  

• This Is Why I Resist (by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu)  

• The Heart of the Race: Black Women’s Lives In Britain (by Beverley Bryan, Stella Dadzie & Suzanne Scafe)  

• Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson (by George Jackson) 

• Are Prisons Obsolete (by Angela Davis)  

• You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (by Akwaeke Emezi)  

• Girl, Woman, Other (by Bernadine Evaristo)  

• All About Love (by bell hooks)  

• The Bluest Eye (by Toni Morrison)  

• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colour-Blindness (by Michelle Alexander)  

• Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness (by Simone Browne)  

• Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism (by President Kwame Nkrumah)  

• An American Marriage (by Tayari Jones)  

• The Sellout (by Paul Beatty)  

• Children of Blood and Bone (by Tomi Adeyemi)
   

Podcasts  

• Code Switch  

• Black Scot Pod  

• Black History Bites  

• Good Ancestor Podcast  

• Say Your Mind by Kelechi Okafor  

• The Read  

• Therapy for Black Girls Podcast  

• Black Girl Songbook  

• Dear Culture  

• Balanced Black Girl  

• Black Gals Livin’  

• Black Women Travel Podcast  

• Brit(ish) Podcast  

• About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge  

• Two Twos Podcast  

• Stories That Stick  

• Dope Black Women  

• Goal Diggers  

• Off the Cuff Pod  

Support a Black-owned business 

Click here to visit Black2Business – a directory of Black-owned businesses across the UK. 

The Strategist lists 101 brilliant Black-owned, UK-based businesses you can support. 

Rayo also list a range of Black-owned businesses. 

Look out for more updates and ways to get involved throughout October and share your experiences on viva engage using the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth2025.