Black History Month
Events
We're hosting a month of events to celebrate Black History and culture this October. Learn more about what's happening in each week!
Week one (1-5 October 2025)
Commitment to change: A manifesto to support Black researchers
1 October 2025, 2.00pm - 3.30pm, 0.32, George Davies Centre
If you had the power to change Higher Education and improve the experiences of Black postgraduates, what would you do? This creative workshop provides a space for Black and mixed Black heritage postgraduates to share their experiences of being a researcher at the University of Leicester and their ideas for how we can improve things going forward. Everything shared will be completely confidential with options for experiences to be shared anonymously. Participants will be given a £10 food and drink voucher as a thank you and light refreshments will be provided.
Register your interest for 'Commitment to change'
Give It A Go (GIAG) – LUMACS meet and greet
3 October 2025, 6.30pm - 9.30pm, 0.02, Sir Bob Burgess Building
As part of the Give It A Go (GIAG) societies events, join Leicester University Medics Afro-Caribbean Society (LUMACS) for a night filled with games, food and an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.
Week two (6-12 October 2025)
Commitment to change: A manifesto to support Black researchers
10 October 2025, 10.00am - 11.30am, 2.05, Sir Bob Burgess Building
If you had the power to change Higher Education and improve the experiences of Black postgraduates, what would you do? This creative workshop provides a space for Black and mixed Black heritage postgraduates to share their experiences of being a researcher at the University of Leicester and their ideas for how we can improve things going forward. Everything shared will be completely confidential with options for experiences to be shared anonymously. Participants will be given a £10 food and drink voucher as a thank you and light refreshments will be provided.
Register your interest for 'Commitment to change'
Taylormade Studios presents ‘Infectious: Part One: Mad About The Boy’ and director's Q&A
Saturday 11 October 2025, 7.30pm – 10.00pm, Attenborough Arts Centre
Inspired by the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks and the artistry of Allesandra Seutin, Infectious is a jazz soul poetry film about emotional well being and sensually transmitted dependency in diaspora.
The film is a soulful collection of tone poems featuring amazing artists Lacey Adigwu, Caroline Archer, and Randolph Matthews who bring a Nubian aesthetic to the issue of emotional well being in diaspora, and explore the relationship between art, collectivism and therapy, to make a work of art about the healing power of art.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director, cast and crew, exploring perspectives of culture as the immune system of a people and the transformations that happen to people when they share their stories with strangers.
Then a live performances featuring 'After 4 Women – 'Mad About the Girls but Still We Rise'', a sharing from the earlier MULTiTRiBE workshop. A creative exploration inspired by Nina Simone's famous song, 'Four Women' through conversation and art: transforming Black female stereotypes to reframe, reclaim and uplift ourselves, invoking powerful archetypes. Including artists Mellow Baku, Louise Katerega, Linda Bradshaw, Leah Golde and women of diasporic community, embodying the cultural practices of honouring ancestry, reimagining futures and healing traditions.
Register your interest for 'Infectious: Part One: Mad About The Boy'
A soulful celebration for Black History Month
12 October 2025, 11.00am - 4.00pm, John Lewis Atrium, Highcross
A day filled with powerful vocals and uplifting harmonies, featuring live performances from the University of Leicester Gospel Choir and the renowned EAGA Gospel Choir. Experience the joy, spirit, and cultural richness of gospel music as both choirs fill the atrium with songs that celebrate heritage, unity, and hope. Whether you're a long-time gospel fan or new to the genre, this is a performance you won’t want to miss.
Week three (13-19 October 2025)
Commitment to Change: A manifesto to support Black researchers
13 October 2025, 12.00pm - 1.00pm, online
If you had the power to change Higher Education and improve the experiences of Black postgraduates, what would you do? This creative workshop provides a space for Black and mixed Black heritage postgraduates to share their experiences of being a researcher at the University of Leicester and their ideas for how we can improve things going forward. Everything shared will be completely confidential with options for experiences to be shared anonymously. Participants will be given a £10 food and drink voucher as a thank you and light refreshments will be provided.
Register your interest for 'Commitment to change'
Moving beyond representation in academia: A PGR and ECR roundtable
15 October 2025, 4.00pm – 5.00pm, online
How can we move beyond representation and put the experiences of Black researchers at the centre of our efforts to improve research culture? In this special online roundtable, students and staff from each of the four colleges and central professional services will speak about their experiences of academia and how we can change the culture for the better.
Speakers
- Donovan Anderson is a Teaching Fellow and Doctoral Researcher in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences.
- Dr James Dawkins is a historian of African enslavement and its legacies in 18th and early-19th century Jamaica and Britain.
- Elizabeth Kawesa is a postgraduate researcher in the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences focusing on the well-being and sense of belonging of minority students in higher education.
- Dr Pierre Ngon A Mbara is a Teaching Fellow in Finance, children’s book author, and researcher with particular interest in asset risk management, corporate finance, equity research.
- Dr Sadiya Osman is a postdoctoral researcher focusing on how women learners re-engage with further education. Sadiya’s PhD examined the intersectional experiences of Black Muslin women in UK Higher Education.
Register your interest for 'Moving beyond representation in academia'
Criminology: Is there a hate crime crisis?
15 October 2025, 4.30pm – 5.30pm, online
For the best part of the last decade, the number of hate crimes have increased year on year: so much so, some have referred to it as a 'crisis'. This talk will give you the opportunity to think through what a hate crime is and importantly, what we can do about it. You'll also be able to reflect on what the drivers for hate crimes might and who become victims.
For prospective undergraduate students only.
Register your interest for 'Criminology: Is there a hate crime crisis?'
Britain re-written: Discuss, decode, decolonise
16 October 2025, 5.00pm – 9.00pm, Brookfield, University of Leicester
Britain re-written brings Robert Beckford and Emma Babiri to Leicester for a powerful exploration of colonial legacies in archives and museums. Opal22 are working alongside Leicester’s cultural and heritage institutions to bring you this thought-provoking event. Through keynote talks and an interactive panel with industry experts, the event asks: whose stories are persevered, whose are silenced, and how can we build inclusive, community-led histories?
Week four (20-26 October 2025)
BAKUYARD Productions presents: Whoodoo you come from?
19 October 2025, 11.30am - 3.30pm, Attenborough Arts Centre
BAKUYARD presents a transformative journey into ancestral connection, through creative expression, art, music and communal ritual. Every one of us has roots that go back to a people who lived with grounded practice, in harmony with the Earth and with beautiful cultural traditions. These can be (re)connected to in memory, imagination, creative envisioning and conversation.
Facilitated by multi-heritage/Caribbean ancestry artist Mellow Baku, we discover our many roots through ceremony, immersive music, meditative writing and art. This half-day workshop concludes with harmonising soundscape, voice and sound affirmation in a performance-sharing: blending ritual and music, with co-created words, group storytelling, and song from Mellow, with a gentle invitation to contribute your voice to a powerful collective offering.
This multidisciplinary event in Black History Month gives us all opportunity to honour heritage, connect with land and lineage and awaken ancestral memory, no matter Whoodoo you come from. Open to all, suitable for ages 12 and above.
Week five (27-31 October 2025)
In conversation with Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock DBE
27 October 2025, 6.00pm - 8.00pm, Sir Bob Burgess, Lecture Theatre 2
The University is proud to welcome Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock DBE for an intimate conversation in collaboration for Black History Month. British Space Scientist, science communicator and University Chancellor Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock will be visiting for a free event open to all students and staff from all backgrounds. The intimate conversation is part of the University’s celebration of Black History Month. The London-born award-winning space scientist will be speaking candidly about her experiences as a Black woman in the UK.
Register your interest for 'In conversation with Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock DBE'
Black excellence in research showcase
29 October 2025, 1.00pm - 4.00pm, online
The Collage of Life Sciences Race and Ethnicity Black History Month Sub Committee will be hosting a special Black History Month event celebrating Black excellence in research. This half day event will highlight the rich contributions of Black heritage students, researchers and staff across the University. Whether you're a postgraduate researcher, early in your career or established, technical staff or professional services with a project or passion, this is your platform.
This event offers a supportive and inclusive space to:
- Share your work or research interests
- Celebrate identity, creativity, and innovation
- Make meaningful connections
- Critical reflection on this year’s University of Leicester theme: Beyond representation: Commitment to change
Register your interest for 'Black excellence in research showcase'
WORD! and Renaissance One Present: A Black History Month special with John Agard
30 October 2025, 7.00pm - 9.00pm, Attenborough Arts Centre
Join us for a very special evening celebrating the poetry and words of international poet John Agard and local poet sensations brought to you through a collaboration between Renaissance One and Word! We'll offer a space for conversation, performance and a Caribbean-style lime.
Black food innovators
As part of Black History Month, across various University catering outlets, Leicester Services Partnership (LSP) are celebrating Black food innovators and their contributions to better agricultural processes and food inspiration globally. The University are proud to offer food which reflects and includes the flavours, ingredients and processes founded by Black food innovators.
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project - Black History Month Playlist
Throughout October, in the Foyer of the Sir Bob Burgess Building, come and hear sounds clips of oral history interviews related to Black History Month.