Black History Month 2022
Pembroke College will be marking Black History Month 2022 by showcasing the accomplishments and contributions of Black members of our community, as well as promoting change through education and activism.
Throughout October we will be hosting talks and events; displaying works by Black British artists and writers around College; and sharing stories on our website and social media to honour the achievements of Black members of our community.
We encourage all students and staff to engage with Black History Month within College or elsewhere. You will find details of Pembroke's Black History Month events and news below.
Details of events within the University can be found here and further information about the importance of Black History Month, local events, and resources you can access online are available on the Black History Month website.
BlackPembroke
Our Black History Month initiatives are delivered with the support of BlackPembroke, a working group set up to consider the particular needs and experiences of Black applicants, students and staff at Pembroke. Chaired by an alumna, this group includes current and former students and staff members and seeks to provide a safe, comfortable environment for members from across the College community to share experiences and ideas, to listen, and to collaborate. The aims of the Group are twofold: to improve our environment and practices and therefore the experience of Black students and staff already at Pembroke, and to increase the long-term participation of Black students in Oxford admissions. If you would like to find out more about the work of BlackPembroke or to get involved, please contact us.
To reflect this year's Black History Month theme of 'Time for Change: Action Not Words', the College Librarian has curated a collection of books on themes of activism, education, and anti-racism in the academy. These will be displayed in the Library window throughout October, and the Library team are always happy to talk through the collection or make recommendations. More details will be shared in due course.
Since 2020, the JCR Art Fund has been building a collection of work by Black British artists, initially in response to the Black lives Matter movement, and then in relation to the lived student experience at Oxford. Following an exhibition last autumn, this Black History Month will see the collection of fourteen pieces by eight artists displayed publicly in various locations around College.
Read more about the display and the artwork here.
This month, speakers in Chapel will include:
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Professor Anthony Reddie, Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture and Theologian of Black Liberation.
Sunday 9th October 2022, 5:30pm -
Revd Wale Hudson-Roberts, Justice Enabler (formerly Racial Justice Co-ordinator) of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Sunday 23rd October 2022, 5:30pm
More details about Chapel services can be found here.
As part the 3CR pre-dinner talks series organised by the JCR, MCR and SCR, three Pembroke academics will give talks in October on:
- Charity, Prosperity, and Development in Nigeria: Understanding Nigerian Pentecostal Approaches to Nation Building (Dr Christopher Wadibia, Junior Research Fellow)
- Sociological Podcasting in Times of Crisis: Love, Hope, and Solidarity (Dr Chantelle Lewis, Junior Research Fellow in Black British Studies)
- Reimagining Queer African Archives (Dr Raffaella Taylor-Seymour, Junior Research Fellow)
Please see the event listings below for more information.
Throughout Black History Month will be offering our website and social media as a platform to share the accomplishments and stories of Black Pembrokians from across our community: students, staff, academics and alumni. If you would like to be involved, please get in touch - we would love to hear from you.
