Since 1987, Black History Month has been celebrated annually in the UK throughout October. The celebration was initially established in the country by Akyaaba Addai Sebo, a member of the Greater London Council.
Introduced to celebrate the achievements and contributions that black people have made, Black History Month is a time to educate and reflect on the past and present of black lives.
In the last few years, millions have marched in support of Black Lives Matter, some of the world’s biggest sporting stars have taken a knee, and organisations introducing diversity and inclusion roles are at an all-time high.
Whilst these protests and proactive changes show a widespread desire for systemic change, these are ultimately responses to the very real and current issues surrounding racism today.
In 2022, it was reported that 61% of black professionals had experienced racism in the workplace. Despite over half of black professionals reporting these incidents, many more say they do not report racist incidents, feeling there is a general sense that racism is either imagined or in people’s minds.
Whilst protests and demonstrations highlight the issues surrounding racism to incite positive change, organisations must at their core, recognise their responsibility to champion diversity and tackle discrimination.
Ahead of Black History Month, we’ve hand-picked a selection of our most inspiring and captivating speakers who are leading the way for a more diverse future. From the newsroom to the rugby pitch, these speakers provide the necessary narrative and insight into why recognising Black History Month is so important.
Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE
Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE is an award-winning producer, actress, author, parliamentarian, TV presenter and advocate for the welfare and education of children.
For many, she is also best-known as a presenter of the iconic BBC children's TV programmes Play School and Play Away.
Born in Trinidad, Floella came to England in 1960 aged 10, as part of the Windrush generation. When she first arrived in the UK, Floella was met with racism on a daily basis. Speaking on her experience, Floella recalled “every day there was a fight, every day there was a feeling of rejection and you realised, living in here in Britain, you were no longer a person, but you were a colour.”
Throughout her career, Floella has campaigned for what she calls 'diversity nirvana', and has spent her life creating a legacy of inclusion for people of all races and abilities.
A champion for diversity and inclusion, Floella is a sought-after keynote and motivational speaker on black history, equality and children’s welfare.
Steven Bartlett
Speaker, investor, author, content creator and host of one of Europe’s biggest podcasts, The Diary of a CEO, Steven Bartlett is not one for sitting on the side-lines.
From a bedroom in Manchester, the university drop-out built one of the world’s most influential social media companies at just 21 years old, now with a multi-million market valuation.
In 2022, Steven joined Dragon’s Den as the youngest-ever dragon. Speaking on the role, Steven shared, “much of the reason for me wanting to be a dragon and wanting to do the show is because I know the show is a big platform and I am not represented on that show as an entrepreneur. There’s not been a young, black man on that show.”
Vocal in his call for people to come together amidst rising racial tensions, Steven is an authentic, proficient speaker on his experience as a young black man growing up in Great Britain.
Able to speak as an authority on the importance of equality and inclusion, Steven uses the racial discrimination he has faced, and his work focused on inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs and creators from a BAME background, to inspire a multitude of organisations.
Alexandra Wilson
Alexandra Wilson is a barrister, campaigner, founder of Black Women In Law and author of the best-selling book, In Black and White.
Throughout her career, Alexandra has drawn attention to the inherent racism in the justice system, in particular by highlighting an incident in which she was mistaken for a defendant three times in one day.
Co-founder of One Case At A Time, Alexandra works tirelessly to stress the racial bias which systematically results in black people being more likely to be arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to prison.
In a society where the question of why Black History Month needs to exist is still asked, it was only in late 2020 that Alexandra had to campaign for Amazon to remove from sale, a hat with the slogan ‘Black Lives Don’t Matter’.
An eloquent advocate for diversity and an empowering role model, Alexandra’s retelling of a life scrutinised by racial profiling flawlessly demonstrates the need to better champion diversity and inclusion.
Professor David Olusoga
British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster and filmmaker David Olusoga is one of the country’s most popular speakers on black history.
From the marginalised history of black British people, identity and belonging and the struggle for equality, David is an authority on a broad range of subjects.
As the pre-eminent historian working in British television today, David has worked in front of, and behind the camera, for over 20 years, devoted to telling the stories Black History Month seeks to promote.
David is also the author of Black & British: A Forgotten History, a vital re-examination of the long relationship between the British Isles and the people of Africa and the Caribbean. In this unflinching work, David describes how the lives of black and white Britons have been entwined for centuries, revealing hitherto unknown scandals and confronting taboos.
Afua Hirsch
Afua Hirsch is a former barrister, award-winning journalist and diversity and identity campaigner.
After a lifelong quest to grapple with questions of race, class, and gender, Afua wrote Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging – a hard-hitting examination of modern, divided Britain. Blending history, memoirs and individual experiences, Afua discusses the identity crisis at the heart of Britain today. Far from affecting only minority people, Afua deliberates Britain as a nation in denial about its past and its present.
From a young age, Afua notes trying to make sense of how people racialised her - a mixed-race, black girl with an African name and a middle-class upbringing - while at the same time claiming that they “did not see race”. She recalls having to discover the history of where those ideas came from, and why, even though that history has shaped our world in so many profound ways, we address it rarely and with only the most selective approach.
Afua is a knowledgeable and passionate speaker on the importance of diversity and inclusion, social justice, identity and unconscious bias.
Clive Myrie
Multi-award-winning journalist and presenter Clive Myrie is one of the BBC's most experienced foreign correspondents, notably in 2022 fronting the coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war.
The main catalyst for Clive’s career choice came from watching Sir Trevor McDonald as a child, “he was reading the news when I was growing up and I saw this guy who looked like me and I thought: Well, if he can do it, maybe I could.”
Over the course of three decades, Clive indeed proved he could, presenting front and centre at some of the most significant events of the last twenty years. During his career, Clive has covered four presidential runs, including Barack Obama’s victory in 2008, been shot at by the Taliban whilst filming in Afghanistan and spent ten days on a Covid ward at the height of the pandemic.
Throughout his career, Clive has been subject to regular racist abuse, abuse he describes as becoming increasingly virulent in recent years.
In the last decade, he has endured a far-right extremist who threatened to kill him being jailed, in another case being on the receiving end of a card with a gorilla on the front which read: ‘We don’t want people like you on our TV screens’, and in a third instance, receiving faeces in the post.
Citing the importance of seeing Trevor McDonald on television as a black child, Clive is a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion. Often reflective on how black people are still chronically underrepresented throughout British society and business, Clive is a sought-after speaker on topics surrounding race and representation.
Clive is available as a host and conference facilitator.
Maggie Alphonsi
Best recognised as the face of women’s rugby, Maggie Alphonsi’s impressive international career saw her represent England 74 times, score 28 tries and help England win a record-breaking seven consecutive Six Nations crowns.
One of the most influential sports stars today, Maggie has paved the way for increased diversity in sports whilst also highlighting the racial inequalities still so dominant across the sporting world.
Throughout the majority of her playing career, Maggie was England’s only black player, a circumstance she carried with great responsibility.
Nearing her retirement, Maggie recalls “when I was coming to the end of my career, I felt like I needed to keep playing so that there was at least one person that young black girls could see in the team who looked like them.”
Following her retirement and keen to ensure the continued improvement of diversity in sport, Maggie made history in 2016 by becoming the first-ever black woman elected as a National Member of the Rugby Football Union’s Council. At the time, Maggie was also the only black member of the 51-strong group.
Regarded as one of the best female rugby players in the world, a popular commentator and leader for diversity and inclusion steering groups, Maggie’s wealth of experience makes her a knowledgeable and influential speaker on overcoming adversity, challenging perceptions and leadership.
To find out more about our Black History Month speakers, please please enquire online, email us or pick up the phone and speak to one of our booking agents.
You can also read more about our full collection of Black History Month speakers here.
