What's Going On
See below for opportunities to come together to mark Black History Month 2026:
Feast Every Week at The Curve!
QM Food are celebrating BHM with a range of menus inspired by countries from across the world, this will be every Wednesday at the Curve Restaurant, 11.30am-3.00pm
Check out this week's Nigerian inspired menu for Black History Month. Make sure you don’t miss out this across October. Check back weekly to see which countries we will be travelling to with QM Food!
Why not come down with your flatmates, friends or colleagues?
Visit the Curve website for more information.
Black History Month Reading List
As a part of the Black History Month 2026, the library Services have curated an online reading list along some highlights from our archives.
Date: Throughout October
Trip to Black Eats Fest
Black Eats Fest in Hackney returns for its 2026 edition, and we're taking you for less than the price of a coffee! Enjoy an afternoon of Afro-Caribbean cuisine, great music and community with your fellow residents.
Location: Residences Reception, Mile End Campus
Date: Sunday, October 4
Time: 11am - 5pm
Book your tickets by 12pm, October 2
AFBE-UK Black History Month 2026: Celebrating Our History, Inspiring Our Future
Join the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK) for a series of free online talks taking place every Wednesday from 7 to 28 October. The programme explores the achievements, experiences and contributions of Black people across history, engineering, mathematics, culture and society.
Sessions will journey through ancient African civilisations and architectural wonders, reflect on the Windrush generation and its continuing fight for equality, examine why intersectionality matters, and celebrate the often-overlooked contributions of Black mathematicians. Open to all, the series offers an opportunity to learn from history, challenge perspectives and recognise the people and stories that continue to shape our world.
Location: Online
Dates: Every Wednesday from 7 to 28 October
Time: 12pm
View the full programme and register for the sessions.
QMSU Event: African Waistbeading Workshop
A workshop run by Alama Toure to make your own waistbeads, learn more about this craft and meet others!
Location: Blomeley Rooms 1, The SU Hub
Date: Tuesday, October 13
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Marking ‘Wear Red Day’ as part of Show Racism The Red Card
Friday 16th October 2026
2026 is the 12th Anniversary of Wear Red Day!
This year at QMUL, we will be marking Wear Red Day by flying red flags at the Queens’ Building and the Garrod Building. In addition to this, badges to support ‘Wear Red Day’ will be available to collect at Dept W, the Queens’ Building and the Garrod Building. Why not grab one of these or catch a photo of the flag flying at QMUL! Keep an eye out for where they will be!
Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) is the UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity. To this day SRtRC continues to utilise the high-profile status of football and football players to help tackle racism in society and has also expanded into other sports. The majority of the campaign’s work involves the delivery of educational workshops to young people and adults in schools, workplaces and at events held in football stadiums. Across the UK, SRtRC provides educational sessions to more than 50,000 individuals per year. In addition to the direct education of young people and adults, SRtRC produces educational resources, to challenge misconceptions, stereotypes and negative attitudes in society.
Find more information here.
British Museum Tour: African kingdoms - Sovereignty, splendour, and resistance
Join fellow colleagues and students for a special Black History Month visit to the British Museum. This guided tour explores four powerful moments in African history through objects connected to kingship, trade, innovation, and resistance.
From the Kushite ruler Taharqa and the global trade networks of Aksum to the reign of Emperor Tewodros II and the renowned bronze-casting traditions of Benin, this tour examines how rulers and artisans expressed authority, identity, and influence across the African continent. Through royal, sacred, and ceremonial objects, participants will discover the histories of African kingdoms and the civilisations that shaped them.
The tour includes objects displayed across the Museum's Enlightenment, World of Money, Sudan, and Africa galleries.
Date: Sunday 25th October 2026
Time: 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Location: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG. Participants should meet at the Information Desk in the Great Court.
Registration: Places are limited and advance booking is required.
Queen Mary staff and students can register for a free place via Eventbrite. Please note that only registrations submitted using a valid QMUL email address will be accepted. Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Members of the public wishing to attend should book directly through the British Museum's website, as the Eventbrite registration is reserved exclusively for Queen Mary staff and students
Black History Month in Newham: Community, Creativity and Culture
Explore Newham’s community-led Black History Month programme, with events taking place across the borough throughout October. From poetry, creative writing and exhibitions to film, storytelling, live music and discussions, the programme celebrates the richness of Black African and Caribbean history, heritage and contemporary culture. Events are open to a range of ages and interests, with many free to attend.
A highlight is How Civilisations Remember: Twelve Technologies of African Knowledge, Memory and Transmission, taking place at Stratford Library on Saturday 24 October, from 6–7.30pm. This fascinating talk explores how African societies have preserved and shared knowledge through story, memory, music, objects, land, language, technology and other enduring forms—challenging conventional ideas about where and how knowledge is held.
Explore the full programme and book.
Black History Month in Tower Hamlets: Arts, Culture and Heritage
Throughout October, Tower Hamlets will host a vibrant programme celebrating Black arts, culture and heritage. Events taking place across the borough will include exhibitions, film screenings, talks, live music, guided walks, theatre and more, offering opportunities for people of all ages to celebrate, learn and connect.
One featured event is the Black History Month Photography Exhibition Retrospective, presented by Alternative Arts. The online exhibition brings together a diverse collection of work by Black British photographers, using powerful images to celebrate contemporary culture and showcase a range of creative perspectives and experiences.
Explore the full Tower Hamlets Black History Month programme.