October 2024’s Black History Month arrives on the back of some of the most shocking race riots the UK has seen in many years; the weaponisation of the brutal and tragic attack on young girls and their tutors in Southport, which ignited riots across the UK and racist and Islamophobic attacks on people, communities and institutions, including Mosques.
In the centenary of the the birth of James Baldwin, these events exemplify the inhumanity of fascist and far right groups that he described.
Writing on the Wall’s Black History Month Programme for October 2024 has been created to respond to those events and highlight the work we and our partners and communities have been delivering since our inception in 2000. Featuring Dennis Bovell, June Miles-Kingston, Zoe Howe, Jeff Perks, Rick Blackman, Ameen Hadi, Bea Freeman, Ray Quarless, Linda Loy, Maria O’Reilly, Janaya Picket and more.
The programme includes:
- National Archives Impact Seminar Thursday 3 October. FREE
- Great War to Race Riots Walking Tour Sunday 6 October, 11am. £10
- Dorothy Kuya Walking Tour Sunday 13 October, 1am. £10
- Lessons from Toxteth and the Path to Racial Justice Wednesday 16 Oct. FREE
- Your Local Arena: Rudies Come Back or The Rise and Rise of 2-Tone – Film Screening and Panel Talk Thursday 17 October 17. £5
- L8 Activism Walking Tour Saturday 19th October, 11am. £10
- George Garrett Walking Tour Sunday 20th October, 11am. £10
- Babylon’s Burning with Rick Blackman Thursday 24 Octobe, 6pm. £7
- Liverpool & Slavery Walking Tour Sunday 27th October, 11am. £10
Madeline Heneghan and Mike Morris, Co-Directors, Writing on the Wall said:
“We must remind ourselves that those racists who vented their anger on a community library, andin cowardly attacks on individuals, remain a minority in British society. During Black History Monthwe look to historical lessons of how the far right have been marginalised and ultimately defeated,through education, music and culture, community and trade union activism and, as we saw in themagnificent anti-racist demonstrations in cities and towns across the UK, by confronting them andreclaiming the streets. Most importantly during this Black History Month we send a message ofsolidarity from Writing on the Wall to all communities affected by recent events, and we declare‘Whose streets? Our streets!’”
For more information, please visit writingonthewall.org.uk/black-history-month-24/
