The Open University in Wales celebrates Black History Month

Today marks the start of Black History Month, an international annual commemoration which celebrates recognising and valuing the inspirational individuals and events from within the Black community.

The OU has produced a new Black History Month hub on OpenLearn featuring some inspirational people and events. In Wales, the OU will be sharing articles and resources on the OU in Wales website and social media channels on black history from a Welsh perspective.

We will be speaking with Keith Murrell, lead organiser of Butetown Carnival, on the history of the event and its place in multicultural Wales. Born in Cardiff’s Butetown Docklands, the Carnival first appeared in the 1960s and continues to be an iconic celebration of black culture, community and belonging. 

The OU in Wales and Race Equality First will be taking over each other’s Twitter and Instagram accounts in mid-October to share free resources themed around Black History Month. More information will follow – keep an eye on the OU in Wales Twitter and Open University Instagram pages, and Race Equality First’s Twitter and Instagram.

We will also be sharing mental health resources created in partnership with the BBC. Contributors from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities will draw on their own experiences with a mix of illustrations and video clips, focusing on the Black Lives Matter movement, the current pandemic, and feelings they’ve had during lockdown.

Stay tuned on the OU in Wales website and social media channels throughout October. There will be plenty of resources and activities to get involved with as we celebrate Black History Month.

• Follow @OUCymru on Twitter
• Follow The Open University in Wales on Facebook

Image: Bert Hardy/Getty Images