October 15, 2025
UK hosts a series of Black History Month-themed events throughout the month of October.
Across the United Kingdom, communities are coming together this October to honor Black History Month with events celebrating art, education, and culture throughout the diaspora.
On Oct. 13, the exhibition “Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music” opened in Bristol, offering a free celebration of five centuries of Black musical influence in Britain. Running through Oct. 31 at St. Paul’s Learning Centre, the exhibition explores the people, places, and genres that have shaped the nation’s rich and evolving soundscape.
It’s one of several themed events in cities like Bristol and Somerset celebrating the diverse Black cultures that have shaped Britain’s rich heritage.
“It’s very important to know where we are coming from and where we are going,” Glen Crooks, owner of Glen’s Kitchen at St. Paul’s Learning Centre in Bristol, told the BBC. “Black history should be taught all the time, not just in a month.”
Born in Jamaica, Crooks moved to England as a child in 1967 and remembers growing up unaware of prominent Black civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Paul Bogle. Witnessing the evolution of the UK’s Black History Month since its start in 1987 serves as a nod to Crooks and many others on just how far Black Brits have progressed in the country.
“We are coming from a long, long way from slavery. As Black people, we’ve been through a lot, but we still come out strong,” he said.
Other Black History Month events in Bristol include the Bristol Bus Boycott X, an immersive pop-up exhibition commemorating 60 years of the 1965 Race Relations Act, celebrating local heroes and sheroes; the Somali Week Festival; and the Voices of Resilience rap and poetry workshop, among many others.
In Somerset, locals can take part in a showcase of powerful images from London-based visual activist Wayne Campbell. His “Celebration of Demonstration” on display at the newly opened Shoemakers Museum in Street showcases the more than 100 protests he’s photographed around the world since his start following the death of George Floyd.
“Education is key,” Campbell said, noting how in more rural areas, “if there are people willing to learn and understand about sections of society they weren’t aware of in the past, that’s great.”
Other Black History Month events in Somerset include the Caribbean Experience, featuring reggae vinyl and discussion; the Yeovil Literary Festival, highlighting Paterson Joseph’s Stories from Black History: Ten Children Who Changed the World, a literary event for schools, children aged 9+, and history enthusiasts; and the Tapestry of Black Britons display at Yeovil Library, running through November.
Florence Nyasamo, founder of Lives of Colour in Cheltenham, emphasized that Black History Month is vital for celebrating the local community. This year’s events build on Nyasamo’s 2024 initiative, which launched a year-long program of educational activities, including student debates on race, equity, and inclusivity in council decision-making.
“The focus is always in the past, Martin Luther King, Mandela, but what about the spaces we live in?” Nyasamo said. “What contributions are communities making? Because this is what will make this visible and why this conversation is important.”
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