The theme for Black History Month 2025 is "Standing Firm in Power and Pride". We aim to highlight the immeasurable contributions made by Black people, whether leaders, activists, or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of ongoing empowerment, unity, and growth.

University Events in Black History Month

TheirStories - Dr Oghale Ayetuoma, Senior Lecturer in Human Resources Management and Work - 'From Surviving to Thriving'

Join us at 1 p.m. on October 15th, 2025, for a TheirStories with Dr. Oghale Ayetuoma. A true embodiment of this year's Black History Month theme, "Standing Firm in Power and Pride," Oghale shares her powerful journey, from a childhood rooted in faith and family to navigating racism and invisibility in professional spaces.

Black History Month Run

Run in power and pride! Join us on Saturday 18 October, as we partner with Black Trail Runners for a first-of-its-kind inclusive social run at Ashton Court. This is a celebration of movement, connection, and community spirit, in the heart of Bristol - for both the black community and allies, of all ability levels! 
Sign up to the run here. Student sign ups receive a free Black Trail Runners neck scarf on arrival and free refreshments after the run for all participants!'

Global Lounge - Black History Month: pieces of a whole, learning through art.

Join us in the Global Lounge as we open a space for the exploration of heritage and personal experience through arts, conversation and food. We are delighted to collaborate with the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences for this event. Everyone is welcome!  

Bristol Caribbean Studies Studios

The Caribbean Studies Studio, which is part funded by Reparative Futures, is hosting award-winning writer Gloria Blizzard on Thursday 16 October. Gloria will be reading from her latest publication in the Humanities Research Space at 16:00.

Conversations on the Future of Work: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman.  - Tuesday 28 October, 16:00

A discussion with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, doctoral candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, Roosevelt Institute Fellow in Economics and author of “The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid”.  In The Double Tax, Harvard researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman summarises the disparities that women face as they navigate life’s biggest moments. Not only do the numbers reveal that women incur higher costs than men, but also that black and white women lead vastly different lives, marked by dramatic gaps in job opportunities, salaries, housing costs, childcare access, and generational wealth. She coins this gap as the “double tax,” the compounded cost of racism and sexism. This conversation will take place in person and virtually. 

What's on & Events @ Bristol SU

Learn more about the events our Bristol SU and Student Societies are organising for Black History Month 2025, including BUMS in Harmony: Celebrating Black Composers and Andrew Adetitun King’s Reassessing the Methodological Flaws of Forensic Facial Reconstruction Within Egyptology.

If any University of Bristol staff member is organising a Black History Month event and would like it featured here, please get in touch with EDI-Team@Bristol.ac.uk.

Black History Month 2025

The theme for Black History Month 2025 is "Standing Firm in Power and Pride". Visit the official Black History Month website for news, views, features, listings, resources, and a diversity dashboard.

Black History Month Toolkit

This toolkit includes a variety of assets to show your support during Black History Month and beyond. It includes email signatures, digital screens and social media assets.

Anti-racism at Bristol

Learn more about the University's race equality strategy, and some of the anti-racism initiatives being undertaken to tackle racial discrimination, including the Anti-Racism Working Group.

WHEN: 100 Black Women Professors NOW

The University participated in the 100 Black Women Professors Now programme in 2023/24, a pioneering systemic change programme developed and delivered by the Women in Higher Education Network (WHEN). The cohort continues to be supported in the academic year 2025/26.

Centre for Black Humanities

The centre fosters research being done around the artistic and intellectual work of people of African descent, with projects ranging from UK hip-hop to slavery and its legacies. Read more about the Centre on the Arts Matter blog.

Financial support for Black students

We’re committed to supporting Black students at Bristol. We currently offer two dedicated bursaries:
  • Black Futures Scholarship
  • Black and Mixed Black Heritage PhD Scholarships
You can also explore a range of other bursaries and scholarships available to help with your studies.

Resources and Information

Reparative Futures Programme
 Reparative Futures aims to tackle racial injustice and inequalities within the University and in local communities we work with, running over ten years.

Bristol City Council Black History Month Webpages

The Bristol City Council has created a webpage showcasing events and resources within the local area.  

Perivoli Africa Research Centre (PARC)

PARC seeks to foster transformative partnership working between the ‘global North’ and Africa to rebalance the global academic research system, promote African-led scholarship and thereby enrich the production of knowledge for humanity’s future. You can also read about the Africa Charter, and how the University is committing to it.