Every October, Black History Month invites us to recognise and celebrate the contributions of Black people to Britain’s past, present and future. This year’s national theme is “Honouring Our Communities”. As the organisers at Black History Month UK describe it, the theme is not simply about place or postcode; it is about people. It asks us to notice the individuals whose everyday contributions hold communities together but too often go unseen, such as volunteers, teachers, nurses, carers and community organisers.
That idea sits close to the heart of what we do. Community First Oxfordshire is a community development and placemaking charity, and for over a hundred years we have worked alongside Oxfordshire’s communities, supporting people and places to work together and thrive. Our aim is to improve quality of life for everyone who lives or works in the county, particularly those who are disadvantaged, and we do that by helping communities identify and tackle local needs and by encouraging voluntary action. Much of that work happens through exactly the kind of people this year’s theme honours: the volunteers, organisers and neighbours who give their time so that others can belong.
Honouring our communities also means making space for the stories that shape them. This year, Oxfordshire has a rich programme of lectures, music, theatre and community gatherings for Black History Month, and we hope this non-exhaustive roundup helps you find something to attend or take part in.
A Quiet Storm
When: Friday 16 October, 7:00-9.30pm
Where: Christ Church Abingdon, Northcourt Road, OX14 1PL
Join the church for an evening of music, song, performance poetry and spoken word to celebrate Black History Month. The programme includes Kuumba Nia Arts exploring African Caribbean women’s experiences of Oxford in the 1960s and 70s, poetry and song from Euton Daley featuring Amantha Edmead, and Fimber Bravo and Jali Fily Cissokho’s musical collaboration. The evening will end with a chance to have some refreshments and dance!
The St Cross South African Township Music Concert
When: Thursday 22 October, 7:00-8:00pm
Where: Pusey House Chapel, St Giles’, Oxford OX1 3LZ
South African singers Luyanda Jezile and Prudence Jezile, founding members of Imbube UK, will perform an hour-long concert. The music grew out of Black communities living in racially segregated urban areas, blending traditional African vocal harmonies with jazz, swing, pop and R&B. It’s a chance to experience Black history through song, and to hear how music became a source of identity, resistance and hope.
Find out more: Tickets and information | Black History Month listing
Black Excellence Festival
When: Thursday 22 October, 5:15-8:30pm
Where: Union Hall, John Henry Brookes Building, Oxford Brookes University
Brookes Union’s evening of celebration features a play and poetry performance, a panel discussion and award presentations. The keynote address will be given by Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Lord Mayor of Oxford, who will also present the awards.
Find out more: Oxford Brookes Black History Month events
Lectures
The Future Isn’t Neutral: Race, Fairness and Equality in the Age of AI
When: Wednesday 21 October, 5:30-6:30pm (tea and coffee from 5:00pm)
Where: Kellogg College
Landé Belo, an award-winning lawyer, theatre producer, director and writer, will draw on her expertise in employment law and AI regulation to look at the opportunities and risks of AI through the lens of race, fairness and inclusion. A drinks reception follows.
Empowering Leadership through Inclusion
When: Wednesday 21 October, 6:00-7:00pm (networking until 8:00pm)
Where: Saïd Business School, Park End Street, Oxford
Professor Doyin Atewologun, a business psychologist and founder of Delta Alpha Psi, will introduce her “Cycle of Opportunity” framework, which looks at how bias shapes career pathways.
The Lady Ademola Lecture 2026
When: Thursday 22 October, 1:00pm
Where: Online (hosted by St Hugh’s College)
Professor Anthony G. Reddie will share a reflective journey from the Caribbean to Oxford, alongside the latest thinking on the legacy of colonialism.
Find out more: University of Oxford Black History Month page
The Iconicity of Africa with Professor Adom Getachew
When: Thursday 22 October, 5:00-7:00pm
Where: Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG
This University of Oxford Black History Month lecture will explore how, over the course of the 20th century, the continental image of Africa emerged as a symbolically freighted icon for a political project centred on racial solidarity and emancipation. Professor Getachew will trace this development and consider the multiplicity of meanings that have come to cohere around the sign of Africa.
More to see and do this month
The Island, 14 Park End Street. Exhibitions, talks, music, workshops and performances. A collaboration between Fusion Arts, African Caribbean Kultural Heritage Initiative, Oxfordshire Community Education Group, Unlock the Chains Collective and A Place for We Project (involving Oxford Brookes and the Oxfordshire African Caribbean Community Archive).
Book display, Radcliffe Camera. The History Lending Collection is hosting a display of books for Black History Month. Bodleian History Faculty Library blog
Oxford Brookes exhibition. A timeline display of the history of Black Britain from 100AD, with panels on the Windrush Generation journey from the Black Cultural Archives. Oxford Brookes Black History Month page
Get involved
Black History Month is more than a calendar of events. It’s a chance to listen, learn and connect with the people around us. If your community group or organisation is running an event this October, we’d love to hear about it. You can also add it to the national listings via the Black History Month submission page, and browse everything happening in the county on the Oxfordshire listings. For the University of Oxford’s full programme, see its Black History Month page. Please check each organiser’s page for the latest times and booking details.
We aim to list all Oxfordshire community events on our Events page.