Black History Month

October 2024

Keynote speaker

Trevor Sterling: Self-belief and aspiring to be the ladder

Wednesday 16 October, 6.00 - 7.00pm, JHB Lecture Theatre, Headington Campus

Our keynote lecture this year will be presented by Trevor Sterling, the first Black Senior Partner at a UK top 100 law firm. Trevor will share insights from his personal journey and the importance of self-belief irrespective of social challenges.

The session will consist of a lecture followed by a Q&A.

More about Trevor

Trevor Sterling is a Senior Partner and Head of Major Trauma at Moore Barlow and was the first Black Senior Partner to be appointed at a UK top 100 law firm. After qualifying as a Solicitor via the University of Law, he has worked on ground-breaking cases including a landmark House of Lords case, conducted some of the country’s highest profile legal actions and dedicated his time to diversity and inclusion, both inside and outside of the legal sector.

Trevor is co-founder and Chair of the Major Trauma Group and Chair of the Mary Seacole Trust, a charity which promotes social equality. He is a regular lecturer on rehabilitation and pathway support and often features in the media. He is a multi award winning lawyer and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law.

Trevor has 40 years’ experience in the legal profession, with clients who have suffered serious injury or disability through no fault of their own, and considerable experience handling inquests and inquiries.

For Black History Month, Trevor will share insights from his personal journey and the importance of self-belief irrespective of social challenges.

Centre of Research in the Arts Event

Guy Davis: Blues, Songwriting and Civil Rights

Tuesday 22 October, 5.00pm, JHB Lecture Theatre, Headington Campus

The Centre of Research in the Arts (CoRA) will present an evening with Guy Davis: Blues, Songwriting and Civil Rights. Guy uses a blend of roots, blues, folk, rock, rap, spoken word, and world music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. The musician, actor, author, songwriter and two-time Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues will be in conversation with blues musician and chair of the European Blues Association, Michael Roach.

During this event, there will be the opportunity to sign up for the ‘Blues in Schools’ Programme From Work Songs to the Blues, Hip Hop and Beyond', by Michael Roach who has been presenting this event for the past 35 years.

EDI Research Network Research Showcase Event

Thursday 17 October, 2.00 - 4.00pm, CLC.2.03 Clerici Building, Headington Campus

Oxford Brookes staff and students showcase their research and will be sharing projects, research, initiatives and community engagement activities. Linked to the Black History Month theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, EDIN seeks to increase the visibility and highlight the variety of research at Oxford Brookes in terms of topics, interdisciplinarity, and different stages in academic careers that brings home the change of perspectives needed in Higher Education.

Speakers include:

Dr Abigal Muchecheti (Abingdon and Witney College, independent researcher)
Beverley Harry (postgraduate student in Educational Leadership, EDI Manager GLAM at University of Oxford, and Director Miss P Foundation)
Dr Claudia Macaveiu (Lecturer in Tourism, Hospitality and Events).

The event is organised in a hybrid format, inviting all staff and students to come along in person or via Zoom. Format is powerpoint presentation or poster presentation. Each speaker will talk about their work for about 15 minutes which leaves us time for Q&A and networking with tea/coffee.

Blackbird Leys Community Choir: Sing-Along and Performances Inspired by Black Heritage

Wednesday 23 October, 12.00 - 1:30 pm, Student Union Hall Headington Campus

The BAME Staff Network Committee are proud to host Blackbird Leys Community Choir for this fun, engaging and inspiring event. Join us for a sing-along and performances inspired by Black artists, heritage and culture - no singing experience required and drop-ins welcome!

Blackbird Leys Community Choir is a non-profit, self-funded and friendly group that meets weekly in Blackbird Leys in Oxford to sing together. The choir aims to have a diverse and inclusive repertoire and membership and it also orientates itself around important social issues. For more information, you can email blackbirdleyschoir@gmail.com.

Brookes Union: Voices of Black Excellence Speaker Event

Tuesday 22 October, 5.30 - 6.30pm, Chakrabarti Room (JHB), Headington Campus

Come along to this speaker event to hear about stories of strength and success from different figures of Black excellence within our institution. There will be a strong emphasis on how the power of lived experience as a Black individual can shape your career.

Current panelists include:

Dr Sola Adesola - Senior Lecturer in Business and Management at Oxford Brookes Business School
Professor Joseph H. M. Tah - Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment
Dr Nicole Ferdinand - Deputy Associate Dean, Postgraduate Studies, BH - Programmes | BH- Postgraduate Hospitality and Tourism, Oxford Brookes Business School
Kofi Owusu-Aidoo - President of Oxford Brookes Students' Union
Orla Condron - Black Students' Officer 2024/25 and Chair of the Black Students' Network
Princess-Nicosall Owusu-Sekyere - Black Students Officer 2023/24 and Brookes alumni and current University of Oxford Masters student
Caz Fyneface - VP: Activities & Employability, shall be chairing the speaker event

Community events

During October, there will be other events and initiatives by local organisations and community groups as well as national events.

The Oxfordshire Community Education Group (OCEG) is organising an exhibition showcasing their current archiving project in collaboration with Fusion Arts.
The John Bunyan Church is hosting a series of events, including a performance of Still Breathing by the Unlock the Chains Collective and Euton Daley at Christ Church Abingdon.
The Old Fire Station is hosting an afternoon with two acclaimed authors Pamela Roberts and Tina Andrews. Pamela Roberts is a distinguished creative producer, historian, and author with a career marked by collaborations with prestigious institutions including Bodleian Libraries and Arts Council England. Tina Andrews is an international award-winning writer, producer, director, actress as well as an author, playwright and multimedia visual artist.
Discussion on Men's Health at Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, 26 October 12:00 - 3:00pm.
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust events
The University of Oxford, Faculty of Law is hosting a lecture with Melissa Browne, Deputy Director of Commercial Services and Estates at the University of Kent.

Learning Resources reading list

For Black History Month 2024, explore the library's Anti-racism reading list for a collection of fiction, poetry, non-fiction books, and online resources relating to racism and anti-racism. Help us expand this list by emailing us with any suggestions.

If you want to learn more about Black history in Britain, browse the History of black, asian, and other ethnic minorities in Britain reading list. You can find all of these books and ebooks at the Oxford Brookes libraries. If you have any suggestions for this list, please contact us.