If you’re living in Britain and find yourself scrolling through social media in February, you might get a bit confused. Your American friends are posting tributes to Maya Angelou or Martin Luther King Jr., and the big brands are changing their logos to celebrate Black history. But in the United Kingdom, things feel a little... quiet. That’s because Black History Month in UK doesn't happen in the winter. We do things differently here. We wait until the leaves start to turn brown and the kids are back in school.
Specifically, the UK celebrates in October.
It’s one of those weird cultural disconnects that catches people off guard every single year. Why the split? Why can’t the whole world just agree on a date? Honestly, it’s not just about being "different" for the sake of it. There are some really practical, and quite frankly, very British reasons why our calendar looks the way it does.
The Akyaaba Addai-Sebo Factor
Most people have no clue who Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is. They really should. He’s basically the reason we have this month at all. Back in the mid-1980s, Addai-Sebo was working for the Greater London Council (GLC). This was a heavy time in London. Racial tensions were high, and the city was still reeling from various uprisings in places like Brixton and Tottenham.
Addai-Sebo had a conversation with a colleague one day that really stuck with him. She told him that her young son had asked her why he couldn’t just be white. That broke something in him. He realized that Black children in the UK were growing up with a massive identity crisis because they never saw themselves reflected in the history books or the culture around them.
He decided we needed a dedicated time to focus on the African and Caribbean contributions to British life. Not just American history—British history.
Why October though?
If the US does it in February, why didn't we just follow suit? Well, Addai-Sebo was pretty strategic about it. He looked at the UK school calendar. In February, students and teachers are usually exhausted, grinding through the darkest part of winter, or they’re off on half-term break. It’s a dead zone for learning.
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October, however, is right at the start of the academic year. Students are fresh. Their brains are actually switched on. He figured that if you bake Black history into the curriculum in October, it might actually stick for the rest of the year. Plus, in many African cultures, October is a time of harvest and self-examination. It felt right.
The very first Black History Month in UK took place in 1987. That year was significant because it was also the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation and the centenary of the birth of Marcus Garvey. It wasn’t just a random choice; it was a deliberate attempt to reclaim a narrative that had been ignored for centuries.
It's not just "American History Light"
A huge misconception is that our October celebration is just a carbon copy of the US version, just shifted six months. That’s actually a bit insulting to the activists who built this. While figures like Rosa Parks are undeniably important, the UK version focuses on the folks who built this country.
Think about the Windrush generation. Think about Mary Seacole, who was basically ignored by history books in favor of Florence Nightingale for decades. Think about the Ivory Bangle Lady—a high-status woman of African descent living in Roman York in the 4th century.
Yes, the 4th century.
Black people haven't just been in the UK since the 1950s. They’ve been here since the Romans. That’s the kind of stuff that gets highlighted during Black History Month in UK. It’s about proving that Black history is British history. It’s not a separate chapter tucked away at the back of the book. It’s the whole book.
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The debate about "The Month"
Not everyone is a fan of having a specific month. You'll hear this every year. People like Morgan Freeman have famously called the concept "ridiculous," arguing that Black history shouldn't be relegated to 31 days. In the UK, some activists feel the same way. There’s a fear that local councils and big corporations just "do" Black history in October to tick a box and then forget about it for the next 11 months.
There’s also the "Black History Month vs. African American History Month" debate. Because the UK has such a diverse Black population—with massive communities from Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Somalia—the focus is often broader than the US struggle for civil rights. It’s a messy, beautiful, complicated mix of post-colonial identity and modern Britishness.
What actually happens during the month?
It's changed a lot since 1987. Back then, it was mostly community centers and small libraries putting up posters. Now? It’s everywhere.
- Museums: The British Museum and the V&A usually run specific trails highlighting African artifacts that are often overlooked.
- Television: The BBC and Channel 4 dump a ton of documentaries into the schedule. You've probably seen David Olusoga’s work—he’s become the face of this movement recently.
- Workplaces: Your office might host a "lunch and learn." Sometimes these are great; sometimes they are incredibly cringe-inducing.
- Schools: This is the big one. Most primary and secondary schools will pivot their history or English lessons to focus on Black authors and historical figures.
Key Figures You'll Hear About
If you’re trying to get a handle on the vibe of the UK celebrations, you need to know a few names beyond the standard ones.
Mary Seacole
She was a Jamaican nurse who set up the "British Hotel" behind the lines during the Crimean War. For years, she was a footnote. Now, she has a massive statue outside St Thomas' Hospital in London.
Ignatius Sancho
Born on a slave ship in 1729, he ended up becoming a composer, actor, and the first Black Briton to vote in a general election. He was a powerhouse of the 18th-century London arts scene.
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The Bristol Bus Boycott leaders
In 1963, Paul Stephenson and others led a boycott because the Bristol Omnibus Company refused to hire Black or Asian crews. This wasn't Alabama; it was Bristol. And it directly led to the Race Relations Act of 1965.
How to actually engage without being weird about it
Look, nobody likes performative activism. If you're a business owner or an educator, the best way to approach Black History Month in UK is through genuine curiosity rather than "compliance."
- Read British authors. Don't just grab a book by an American author. Pick up something by Bernardine Evaristo, Akala, or Reni Eddo-Lodge. Their perspective on being Black in Britain is distinct.
- Support Black-owned businesses. Not just in October, but use the month as a catalyst to find new places to shop or eat.
- Check your local archives. You’d be shocked at how much Black history is buried in the records of small English towns.
- Listen to the podcasts. Shows like The Echo Chamber or Black Gals Livin' give a much better insight into the contemporary experience than any corporate seminar will.
The global context
It's worth noting that Canada also celebrates in February, following the US lead. Most of Europe doesn't have a standardized month yet, though some cities have started adopting the October model. The UK stands as a bit of an outlier in Europe for how established our October tradition has become. It’s part of our national rhythm now.
What’s the future for October?
There's a growing movement to rename or rebrand the month. Some prefer "Black History 365," pushing for the integration of these stories into every day of the year. Others want to focus more on "Black Futures"—looking at tech, Afrofuturism, and where the community is going rather than just the trauma of the past.
But for now, October remains the anchor. It’s the time when the spotlight is brightest.
If you're planning an event or just want to educate yourself, remember that the goal isn't just to learn facts. It’s to understand how those facts shaped the London, Birmingham, or Manchester you walk through today. History isn't dead; it’s just the foundation we’re currently standing on.
Practical Steps for October
- Audit your bookshelf: If every "classic" you own was written by a white man, October is a great time to diversify that.
- Visit the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool: It’s a heavy trip, but it’s essential for understanding why the UK looks the way it does.
- Follow the Black Curriculum: This is a social enterprise aiming to teach Black British history in schools all year round. Their resources are top-tier.
- Watch 'Small Axe': Steve McQueen’s anthology series on Amazon/BBC is perhaps the best visual representation of Black British life in the late 20th century ever made.
Black History Month in UK is more than just a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder that Britishness has always been a tapestry, even if some of the threads were intentionally hidden for a long time. October is just when we decide to look at those threads a little closer.
To get started, look up the Black British Heritage sites in your specific city. Most major UK cities now have walking tours—like the Black History Walks in London—that reveal the secret history of the streets you probably walk down every day without thinking twice. That’s where the real learning happens.