Lincoln Student Union Events during Black History Month

October celebrates Black History Month (BHM). This celebration recognises black achievement, whilst also acknowledging the barriers faced by black people in the past and the struggles those still experience today. 

The student union has organised many events to both educate and raise awareness during this month-long celebration. The Student Leader team have stated that they’re focussing largely on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) this year, with aims of making the University more diverse and equal. Across the year, there will be a range of free to attend panels. These will aim to educate and inspire, with the first one taking place in November in the Engine Shed. The theme is Black Excellence and more details will be released on this soon!

However, the activities going on this month include events with the Racial Diversity Campaigns Group. There is a spotlight event held to raise awareness and engagement with the group. The University of Lincoln’s Racial Diversity Officer, Jacob and VP Campaigns and Environment Nat, are hosting an event in Towers on Tuesday October 26th from 5pm. This event is open to all students, where they’ll be invited to network, become apart of the community and find out more about the SU and Racial Diversity Campaigns Network. More information regarding the event can be seen on the Student Union website. 

Additionally, the Student Union are working closely with the School of History and Heritage to offer guided tours of their ‘Reimaging Lincolnshire’ trail, which aims to celebrate and remember key Black figures that have helped shape the history of Lincolnshire. All of these tours are bookable on the Lincoln Student Union website under the events tab.

All of these events are aiming to build upon work from the last academic year. The Student Leader team worked closely with Sade, who was the Racial Diversity Officer in 2020 to create a support network for Black students at Lincoln. After taking feedback to change SU services, a working group of students, Student Leaders, SU and University staff was formed. This cohort makes sure the University are working to furfill the seven parts of the BAME Student Motion. These were voted in by students last year and cover 

1. Decolonising the Curriculum 
2. Educational Resources on BLM and the United Kingdom’s Colonial History 
3. Closing the Attainment Gap 
4. Employability for BAME Students 
5. A Safe and Responsive Reporting Framework for Hate Crime  
6. Training for University Staff 
7. Posterity and a Framework for Future Activism 

The latest updates can be found on the Student Union website.