October marks the start of Black History Month in the UK, an occasion to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of Black people to the British economy, culture, and history.
Collage of faces

The story of Black communities has often been told through lenses that often misrepresent, oversimplify, or entirely overlook the rich and diverse experiences of those who lived it. Under the national theme of 'Reclaiming Narratives', we are urged to take control of our stories, celebrate our heritage, and ensure our voices are heard. A comprehensive 2024 resource pack can be downloaded from the Black History Month website.

The national Church, dioceses and cathedrals across England have organised a suite of resources and a programme of services, exhibitions and other events to mark the month.

Called to serve

We asked a few prominent GMH female clergy across the Church of England to retell their experiences of dealing with racism during their ministry and life in general, and what advice they would give to younger GMH people who may be considering ordained ministry.

We thank Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop Rosemarie Mallett and Archdeacon Karen Best for sharing their wisdom and snippets of their journey with us.

Prayer and worship

  • A prayer for Black History Month: A special prayer for use in your services throughout October.
  • Liturgical Resources for Black History Month: A range of resources to help churches to mark the month, including services of the Word, a Eucharistic service, prayers of lament and commission, and additional resources for Bible studies, youth work, Messy Church, and music.
  • Exploring wisdom for life from Black Spirituality: A week of reflections will be available from Everyday Faith, our new daily devotional app.

Films

As part of Black History Month, the Church provides this unique opportunity for its congregants, individually and collectively, to watch the following offerings on Racial Justice.

Visitor and Chocolate Digestive are two short film monologues by Testament under the title “Testament to Truth” which speak to the presence of racism within the context of the church and the contemporary Christian experience. Testament is an acclaimed West Yorkshire performer, poet, playwright, and rapper. These works, developed after extensive interviews into systemic and personal racism, were originally commissioned by the Leeds Church Institute and Bishop Smitha Prasadam.

After the Flood: The Church, Slavery and Reconciliation addresses the historical neglect of African Chattel Enslavement in British Christian history and explores biblical principles for racial reconciliation in our churches today. Archbishop Stephen Cottrell recommended this “to Bible Study and other small groups to help reflect on the meaning of us being truly one in Christ.”

Resources and events across the Church of England

Dioceses

Cathedrals

Source URL: https://www.churchofengland.org/mission-ministry/inclusivity/racial-justice/black-history-month