Things To Do / Black History Month
What’s on this Black History Month
October 1 marks the start of Black History Month.
Celebrated in the UK since 1987, it is a time of celebration and reflection.
Campaigners say this year’s theme is “reclaiming narratives”.
is needed now More than ever
While we should celebrate Black history every month, this month serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of the history and culture of people of Black African descent in Bristol and across the UK.
There are many events happening across the city to celebrate Black History Month. Here are a few highlights.
October 1-4: Windrush Front Room
Greene King, in collaboration with The Windrush Collection, presents The Windrush Front Room, a nostalgic reflection on the homes of Caribbean families who came to Britain in the 20th century.
Project curator Tony Fairweather will deliver lively talks across four days.
Entry is free although donations to the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust are encouraged.
The exhibition features several unique exhibits, including a clock counting down to the bicentenary of the 1833 Abolition Act – photo: Seun Matiluko
October 1-5: TTEACH Plaques
Sisters Gloria and Sandra Daniel have co-curated an exhibition at Ashton Court Mansion highlighting all 96 Bristolians who received reparations following the abolition of slavery.
The 1833 Slavery Abolition Act abolished slavery in most parts of the British Empire.
To compensate former enslavers for “loss of property” the British government paid reparations which ultimately amounted to £20m.
Entry to the exhibition is free.
The exhibition features several unique exhibits, including a clock counting down to the bicentenary of the 1833 Act – photo: Seun Matiluko
October 1-2025: All God’s Children
The All God’s Children exhibit at Bristol Cathedral, which first launched in 2022, shines a spotlight on the impact of the transatlantic slave economy on the Cathedral’s past and present.
The exhibition is free to enter and will be open throughout Black History Month and beyond.
Roughly 20 per cent of people buried or memorialised in the Cathedral between 1670-1900 had close links to slavery – photo: Bristol Cathedral
October 2: Celebrating Dr Guy Bailey OBE
Bristol Bus Boycott activist Guy Bailey OBE was awarded an honorary doctorate at UWE Bristol in July.
To celebrate this, Dr Roger Griffith MBE will host an event at UWE’s Frenchay campus celebrating Bailey’s life and legacy in Bristol and beyond.
Tickets are free and UWE Bristol have offered free transport to and from the event for Caribbean elders.
Guy Bailey, pictured here alongside Roger Griffith, was awarded an honorary doctorate earlier this year – photo: UWE Bristol
October 5-26: The Cause Bristol
Across every Saturday of Black History Month, community organisation The Cause will be hosting celebratory events from midday to 9pm at the Kuumba Community Centre in St Paul’s. The events will showcase local Black heroes and pay homage to Bristol’s sound system culture.
Entry is free.
The Cause regularly runs community-centric events across the city – photo: The Cause Bristol
October 12-27: Afrika Eye
The Afrika Eye Film Festival, first established in 2005, showcases films by Africans and people from the African diaspora.
This year they have a variety of screenings on offer, including a showing of The Woman King at the Trinity Centre and I Am Not A Witch at the Pickle Factory.
Tickets are available on the Afrika Eye website.
This year’s festival features a Pam Grier double bill – photo: Amazon MGM Studios
October 31: Abolition Walk
Mark Steeds from the Bristol Radical History Group will be leading a free “abolition walk” exploring Bristol’s involvement with the slave trade.
The roughly two hour walk will leave from M Shed at 11am and end in the City Centre.
The walk is free to attend although there is a £5 suggested donation.
The walk will highlight abolitionists who lived in and passed through Bristol, including the acclaimed American orator Frederick Douglass – photo: M Shed
Main photo: Bristol Cathedral
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