Southampton’s Black History Month is back with an exciting programme of events for October

Southampton’s Black History Month has been a regular annual event for the past 15 years and this year the launch is back in- person after a three year hiatus due to Covid 19.

The theme chosen for this year is Original Influencers, focusing on the achievements of people from the Afro Caribbean community both past and present.

The event will be launched tomorrow at St Mary’s Fire Station in Brinton’s Street and is due to be opened by Southampton mayor Jacqui Rayment at 11am. It will feature keynote speaker Jum Baker and entertainment from Queenie Creole Moore and spoken word artist Muunya Usuwana.

There are a wide variety of other events taking place to celebrate Black History Month here in Southampton. This includes:

28th Sept – 5th November Black The Graphic Novel Exhibition at  John Hansard Gallery.

1st October – Community Well-Being Day at MAST Mayflower Studios 10am – 2pm (free event).

1st October – Black History Month Gala Night at MAST Mayflower Studios 7.30pm – 10pm Tickets £7.00.

4th October – Isata Kanneh Mason at the Turner Sims  8pm.

7th October – 6th November – exhibition ‘For My Only Love, Yours in Body and Soul’ by Ebun Sodipo at God’s House Tower.

8th October – Author talk, Black by Tobias Taitt at October Books 2pm.

15th October – Chelsea Carmichael  at the Turner Sims  8pm.

15th October – Black In Focus, Black British Film Night  at MAST Mayflower Studios.

21st October – Black is the colour of my voice at MAST Mayflower Studios.

22nd October – Author talk, The Ongoing Quest for Identity with Kabir Kareem-Bello at October Books, 11am.

24th October – Black Joy  at MAST Mayflower Studios 6.30pm -9.00pm Tickets £8.00.

27th October – Spoken word, Oral histories, in celebration of BHM at October Books, 6.30pm

• For more information about Black History Month South, visit: https://www.blackhistorymonthsouth.com/