READING is set to mark Black History Month with a whole host of events across October.
The town will welcome talks, exhibitions, debates, workshops, arts, food, and film from Black creators, organisers, and activists, as well as educational and community organisations.
Black History Month was first observed in its current form in the USA in 1970, and in the UK in 1987, aimed at promote racial harmony and to recognise and embrace the heritage and contributions of Black people.
Reading’s celebrations of Black communities are informed by their immense contribution to its culture and economy, forming a major part of its identity through much of its history.
They continue to play a vital role in its contemporary and ongoing achievements in business, academia, and the arts.
From Tuesday, September 30 through Saturday, November 1, Reading Museum welcomes a pop-up exhibition exploring stories of unsung heroes of the Caribbean who served in the British armed forces.
We Were There: The Caribbean Story will examine the history of Black people who served in the likes of the West India Regiment, The Royal Air Force, and the British West Indies Regiment, compiled in association with Reading Caribbean Associations Group.
Elsewhere the University of Reading is hosting its annual Black History Month Community Fete in Broad Street Mall, a celebration showcasing local Black-owned businesses on Friday, October 24.
On Thursday, October 16, Reading Biscuit Factory is hosting Through A Different Lens: Our Stories, Our Lives, when it will screen a range of films celebrating the work and stories of Black communities.
Among the works showing will be Martin J Lee’s short film, Weave, and Michael Mante’s short film, Small Hours.
Reading International Festival is taking place from October 13-November 9, and will feature a number of events celebrating Black History Month.
The first is a talk by Nawal Slemiah, founder and director of Women of Hebron, a cooperative part which produces traditional Palestinian embroidery.
The second is a session exploring how Burkina Faso is leading Africa towards self-sufficiency and full sovereignty.
There will also be a celebration of St Vincent and The Grenadines’ 46th independence Day with a formal dinner, dance, and entertainment.
Battle Library is hosting a double-bill pop-up exhibition, featuring a new project and a returning feature.
Black Inventors explores the creativity and innovation from Black inventors, which is often overlooked, and The Enigma of Arrival, a returning exhibition which delves into the first0hand accounts of the challenges and successes of the West Indian diaspora who journied to the UK after World War II.
Meanwhile Reading Borough Council is hosting Against The Odds, where panellists Keith Seville, Steve Macaulay, and Patrick Hutchinson will discuss their work as an author and entrepreneur, actor and direct, and in TV and community activism, respectively.
Four Bears Books is teaming up with the University of Reading to welcome internationally-acclaimed author and activist Bernardine Evaristo for a talk exploring her work.
This includes her co-founding Britain’s first Black women’s theatre company in 1982, and winning the Booker Prixe in 2019 for her novel Girl, Woman, Other, as well as a Q&A session.
An Evening with Bernadine Evaristo takes place in the Palmer Building on Whiteknights Campus on Thursday, November 6.
Full details of events are available via: reading.gov.uk
