Charities celebrating Black History Month 2023

October 2023 marks Black History Month in the U.K. The month is intended to celebrate the life and achievements of Black people across the world. The theme for the 2023 Black History Month is ‘Saluting our Sisters’ and it aims to highlight the crucial role that Black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities.

 

The history of Black people in the U.K. and across the world has often been excluded, or erased, and that’s why Black History Month exists. And that erasure particularly applies to Black women, who are all-too-often forgotten or overlooked due to unconscious or systemic bias.

 

Black History Month 2023 will showcase pioneering and groundbreaking Black women, individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the political, artistic, academic, and cultural landscape.

 

There are many ways that charities can support and get involved with Black History Month. Here we look at what a few charities are doing to celebrate and commemorate Black people in their communities and explore some charities that you might want to support this October.

 

 

What are charities doing in the UK?

 

Cavell: Highlighting the work of nurses

 

Many Black people from the Windrush generation worked as nurses and midwives, keeping the U.K.’s N.H.S. afloat since 1948. But Black nurses contributed to British society long before the Windrush. You may have heard of Jamaican nurse Mary Seacole, for example, who nursed troops in the Crimean war and established the British Hotel, which provided respite for sick and recovering soldiers. Or perhaps you’ve heard of Annie Brewster, one of the first Afro-Caribbean nurses to work in Britain from the early 1880s, who worked at the London hospital in Whitechapel.

 

Cavell, a charity supporting U.K. nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants, is highlighting incredible women to mark the 2023 Black History Month. Cavell is putting a spotlight on the contribution of Black women to British healthcare, contributions that are often ignored or erased. And that huge contribution lasts to the present day, where more than a quarter (29%) of nurses and midwives working in the N.H.S. have Black and Ethnic Minority heritage, rising to 40% in regions such as London.

 

Cavell will use its social media channels to ‘Salute Sisters’ by sharing stories throughout October of amazing healthcare workers doing amazing things. We’ll certainly be following!

 

 

Mind: Showcasing five inspiring women

 

The mental health charity, Mind, have taken the theme of ‘Saluting Our Sisters’ and published a fantastic article celebrating Black mental health heroes. The five inspiring Black women that Mind have chosen to celebrate have all made significant contributions to mental health.

 

Dorcas Gwata co-founded the Global Heath Café, which encourages reflection through dialogue and addresses health issues relevant to Africa. Mind explain how she worked tirelessly to create safe spaces for discussing mental health issues, particularly by working with young people affected by gang culture.

 

Carol Webley-Brown is a Labour member of Lewisham Council and a Royal College of Nursing councillor. She is also the author of Memoirs of an NHS Black Mental Health Nurse. Through her story, Carol seeks to break down racism and raise the profile of Black nurses.

 

They also tell the stories of May Tanner, Bristol’s first Black nurse; Dr Leyla Hussein, founder of the Dahlia Project; and Dr Jacqui Dyer MBE, co-founder and chair of Lambeth’s Black Thrive, a partnership to improve Black mental health and wellbeing.

 

All five inspiring women have raised awareness of mental health.

 

 

U.K. Black Pride: Celebrating with ‘Blacktoberfest’

 

U.K. Black Pride are producing an electrifying event to celebrate Black History Month 2023. Activist  and co-founder of Black Pride, Lady Phyll, will host ‘Blacktoberfest’ on 07 October 2023, a ‘groundbreaking extravaganza’ that honours the culture and contributions of Black and queer people.

 

The event will feature performers, DJs, and speakers who will to take the stage, celebrate the Black experience, and leave the audience in awe.

 

Blacktoberfest is not just an event. It also provides a hub for community engagement, allowing attendees to look through stalls from dedicated community vendors, who will showcase talents, products, and services in the fields of art, fashion, literature, activism, and so much more.

 

The event is a safe space created specifically for Black and queer people to connect, celebrate identities, build bridges, share stories, create lasting memories, and much more.

 

For more information, visit the U.K. Black Pride website or check out the event listing on Dice.

 

 

Five charities you can support on Black History Month

 

Black Cultural Archives

 

The Black Cultural Archives grew in response to the New Cross Massacre, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, underachievement of Black children in schools, the failings of the Race Relations Act 1976, and negative impacts of racism against people of African and Caribbean descent in the U.K. The Archives exist to collect, preserve, and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities, and society

 

Donate

 

 

Southall Black Sisters

 

Southall Black Sisters exist to highlight and challenge violence against women and girls, empowering them to gain control over their lives and assert their human rights to justice, equality, and freedom. The non-profit organsiation aim to give help, keep people informed, provide adcovacy services aimed at helping Black and minoritised women live free from violence, and provide a No Recourse Fund, which is a vital safety net, allowing victims to access refuse or safe accommodation.

 

Donate

 

 

The Black Curriculum

 

The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise founded by Lavinya Stennett in 2019 after her studies at S.O.A.S. The organisation aims to empower young people and educators across the U.K. to engage with Black British history 365 days a year. One of their core goals since 2019 has been to embed Black histories into the UK national curriculum.

 

Donate

 

 

Black Lives Matter U.K.

 

Black Lives Matter U.K. was founded in 2013 response to the acquittal of the murderer of Trayvon Martin. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organisation in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. The organisation aims to combat violence, create a space for Black imagination and innovation, and centre Black joy.

 

Donate

 

 

Black Heroes Foundation

 

Black Heroes Foundation is a community-based charity for the development and promotion of talent, including artistic initiatives in the community focusing on youth, education, training, social uplifting, and personal development programmes. Their mission is the advancement of education of the wider public on the subject of Black Heroes and their various achievements.

 

Donate