Black History Month UK
Black History Month UK 2026
Our theme for Black History Month UK 2025 is ‘Breaking Barriers to Publishing Futures’.
Form early Black writers and publishers to independent presses, literary festivals and today’s new generation of publishers and digital platforms, we’ll discover the people who turned barriers into opportunities, built communities and created new ways for Black stories to be shared, celebrated and heard.
We’ll shine a spotlight on the first Black publishing house New Beacon Books and celebrate notable Black Britons such as Margaret Busby, who is Britain’s youngest and first Black woman book publisher in 1967.
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What is Black History Month UK?
Black History Month UK was the brainchild of Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a special projects officer at the Greater London Council. He wanted to boost the self-esteem of Black British children and young adults who were struggling to deal with the overt racism of the time by educating them on the achievements of Black people in the UK and across the globe.
Taking inspiration from Black History Month (also known as African-American History Month) in the United States. The first official event took place on 1st October 1987 at County Hall. The keynote speaker was ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) deputy leader Bernard Wiltshire, and presentations were made by American historian Dr Maulana Karenga and Kenyan women’s activist Wanjiru Kihoro.
It has since evolved into a national movement that is focused on Black British History and is observed throughout the UK. International Black History Month is also recognised in Ireland, Italy, Germany and Netherlands in October and Canada in February.
