Library Service Blog

Black History Month 2024: Reclaiming Narratives

Black History Month 2024

Black History Month runs every October in the UK. It is a celebration of the history, achievements and contributions of people of African and Caribbean heritage.

This year's theme is Reclaiming Narratives - it's not just about revisiting history; it’s about the Black community taking ownership of the stories that define Black culture, Black contributions, and Black identity. It’s a call to action for Black communities across the UK to step into the role of storytellers, historians, and custodians of our heritage. For far too long, Black history has been narrated by others, leading to distorted portrayals that fail to capture the full breadth and depth of Black experiences.

Our Black History Month Reading List

In partnership with the Library and Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union, a new reading list has been curated. We have a range of books, articles, audio-visual content, and webpages that celebrate and explore themes related to Black History Month. All the resources listed are in the Hallam Library collections and are available to borrow for free by Sheffield Hallam University students and staff.

The list has been divided into different themes that will help you to explore narratives, social history, academic texts and fiction aimed at all age ranges.

Key titles

Black Ballad Journal
Black Ballad is a UK based lifestyle platform that seeks to tell the human experience through eyes of black British women. Contains articles and videos relating to the lives of black women in Britain.

Black Panther. A Nation Under Our Feet / Book One by Ta-Nehisi Coates, [author] & Brian Stelfreeze [artist]
"Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brian Stelfreeze, and colourist Laura Martin have crafted a story that shows why Black Panther is one of the most compelling characters in the Marvel pantheon, a literary work of grim poetry about the superhero who is not merely a superhero but a ruler too. It's a turbulent tale that reflects turbulent times... Comics really don't get much better." -- GQ

Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored by Jeffrey Boakye
"Boakye aims to challenge, complicate and undo assumptions about what blackness means, often taking surprising routes . . . Black, Listed covers some terrain similar to that of recent books such as Akala's blistering Natives and Reni Eddo Logdge's Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, and while Boakye may share those authors' political intent, his humour sets him apart. He is a winningly funny "tour guide". . . The unpredictable range of his references is exciting . . . As he argues against the endlessly problematic ways in which blackness has been categorized and codified, taking on the "biggest and the blackest of the big black stereotypes", the text bobs, weaves and wanders - always one thrilling step ahead." Michael Donkor --Times Literary Supplement

Dreams From My Mother by Elizabeth N. Anionwu
"What a page turner of a book! Dame Elizabeth uncovers the layers of her life from a childhood defined by secrets, to discovering the identity of her father, to her political awakening, and her journey to becoming a Black health radical. She uses her "bellyful of anger" to great effect, highlighting the ethnic health inequalities exposed by sickle cell disease right through to Covid-19. More than anything, her great sense of empathy and fun shine out from the page. I loved it." - Dua Lipa

Taking Up Space: The Black Girl's Manifesto for Change by Chelsea Kwakye and Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi
As a minority in a predominantly white institution, taking up space is an act of resistance. And in higher education, feeling like you constantly have to justify your existence within institutions that weren't made for you is an ongoing struggle for many people. Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi, two recent Cambridge graduates, wrote 'Taking Up Space' as a guide and a manifesto for change: tackling issues of access, unrepresentative curricula, discrimination in the classroom, the problems of activism and life before and after university.

Black History Month Website

The Black History Month website is an incredibly rich and extensive source. The site is continually updated with new articles, events and information.

Read Cherron Inko-Tariah MBE introduction to this year's theme, Black History Month 2024: Reclaiming Narratives.

Hallam Students' Union

The student union is a great place to discover more about Black History Month showcasing events throughout the month at venues across Sheffield. They've also listed a number of Black-owned businesses in our region, links to further reading, books & TV and student societies.