Black History Month Round-Up

Black History Month spans the entire month of October and serves as a dedicated time to acknowledge the significant events, activism, and achievements of Black people who have shaped our society, both historically and presently. The month provides an opportunity for everyone, regardless of their race or ethnicity, to shine a spotlight on and celebrate Black achievements that empower and inspire future generations.

In this blog, we want to highlight some of the brilliant work and events that you've been involved with across the month.

At the start of the month, we were lucky enough to join a Zine Making Workshop led by sweet-thang zine at the SU. We learnt about the history of zines, particularly how they were used as a tool for activism and even had a go at making our own!

In collaboration with our African-Caribbean Society (ACS), the SU also hosted an Open Mic Night. We heard from two incredibly talented individuals and even learnt one of the act's songs and had a karaoke session.

Talking about talent, we displayed student artwork in the library and included an interactive expo on ‘what decolonisation means to you’.

Nisha (VP Wellbeing & Diversity) and I were fortunate enough to attend and contribute to Royal Holloway’s Black and Global Majority staff network event ‘Decolonising the University: A Conversation with Professor Jason Arday’. Muscab Salad, Black and Global Majority Students Community Officer, also presented what decolonisation means to Royal Holloway students at the event. The event was incredibly insightful. It was a privilege to attend and meet Jason who was once a sabb too!

We also teamed up with the Royal Holloway Archives team to help uncover the stories of Black students and staff at Royal Holloway. The event was a pilot project to explore our student records and Royal Holloway magazine collections and gather further insight into the history of our institution.

We also had a couple of late-night events dedicated to Black History Month including Afro-Heat and Flawless Black History Month ft. Ms Banks!

As a student community, it is crucial that we broaden our understanding and appreciation of this history, allowing us to take pride in and celebrate Black excellence. Educating ourselves about Black history reinforces that it is an integral part of our collective history.

Rather than limiting it to a single month, it should be an ongoing celebration and recognition, seamlessly integrated into our educational curriculum and daily lives.

Lastly, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part in our celebration and give a special mention to ACS, Muscab Salad (Black and Global Majority Community Officer) and last but not least, Aran Pascal Quiros, our Representation and Democracy Coordinator. Without these individuals, we wouldn’t have had such a successful and jam-packed Black History Month.