Each year, October is marked as Black History Month. The month-long observance is dedicated to recognising the achievements and history of Black people across the world. Black History Month has been celebrated in the United Kingdom for over 35 years after it was initially established in the USA over 90 years ago.

Each year, Black History Month has a different theme to focus on throughout the month. This year’s theme for Black History Month 2024 is “Reclaiming Narratives,” and looks to mark a significant shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture.

Throughout Black History Month, the British Judo Association will be commemorating the achievements and contributions made to judo by Black judoka, as well as current achievements by athletes and coaches.

Black History Month is also an opportunity to start conversations about race. This is important for building relationships, rapport and trust among colleagues within any sporting community.

A criticism which is often raised is that the act of separating Black stories and Black historical contributions helps to further perpetuate racism and separation.

Building on these perspectives, there is now a growing consensus that we cannot rely on Black History Month alone to address systemic issues of racism. We need to take individual responsibility for our education and levels of awareness and reflection.

Throughout the month, British Judo will be taking a look back and recognise some of the achievements made by British Judoka over the years that have contributed to the sport we love.

There are a number of anti-racist organisations that offer resources and learning opportunities to support the campaign against racism and strive for equality for all.

Black Thrive  

Black Thrive works to challenge the barriers that prevent black people from thriving, the organisation design and delivers learning sessions across sectors which address inequality, inequity, diversity and inclusion.

https://blackthrive.org/

Race on the Agenda

Race on the Agenda is one of Britain’s leading anti-racist change drivers. Working alongside communities impacted by systemic racism, ROTA support the creation of policies and practices which tackle inequality.

https://www.rota.org.uk/

Runnymede Trust

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading race equality think tank, the trust generates research which actively challenges racial inequality in Britain. For over 50 years the trust has been providing research-based interventions and tools to make progress towards racial equality.

https://www.runnymedetrust.org/

Stop Hate UK

Stop Hate UK is a leading anti-hate and anti-discrimination organisation focusing on corporate, statutory and community sectors to provide training and raise hate crime awareness. As well as the training services, Stop Hate UK offer the UK’s only free 24-hour Hate Crime reporting service.

https://www.stophateuk.org/

Show Racism the Red Card

The charity, established in 1996, provides educational workshops to young people and adults in schools and workplaces, providing sessions to over 50,000 individuals per year. Alongside these workshops, educational resources are also available which challenge misconceptions, stereotypes and negative attitudes in society.

https://www.theredcard.org/