Lambeth Libraries will celebrate the month with theatre events, talks, art exhibitions and film screenings throughout the month as part of a busy and dynamic month-long programme across Brixton, Clapham, Herne Hill, Stockwell and beyond. A full programme has been published.
The council also is working with NHS and community partners on developing the Lambeth inspire event on 25 October which will focus on improving health and wellbeing in the borough’s Black communities.
Local people will be able to get advice on managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, tips for healthy eating, support with mental health, how to spot early signs of cancer and more. There will also be free food, uplifting music and fun activities throughout the day, including dance, art, drumming and fitness classes.
The Brixton Immortals Dominos Club will be leading a Black History Month all day event to celebrate Black heritage on October 25 at Clapham Library, which will feature a Black stall holders market, intergenerational domino workshops and Caribbean cuisine. The event will close with a Black History Month dance party.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities said: “I hope you’ll join us to celebrate African and Caribbean history and heritage, celebrating our ongoing support for the Windrush generation and wider communities.
“The whole month is a wonderful opportunity to discover and celebrate the wide variety of vital contributions Africans and Caribbeans make to Lambeth’s culture. We are partnering with many local organisations, along with brilliant writers and artists, to create a fantastic Black History Month programme.”
Word from the Community
Clifton Oddman from Brixton Immortals Dominos Club, which has built a well-established support network for members of the Black community, said: “It’s important and right that Lambeth both marks and celebrates Black History Month in an engaging and inclusive way.
“So I am delighted we are able to take part in that, and we’ll hosting the event at Clapham Library which will be an opportunity for Black entrepreneurs, it will be educational and it will most importantly celebrate Black culture.”
Culture
Lambeth Libraries host writers including Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason on being a Black creative, Stella Dadzie on the UK Black women’s movement, Maud Blair’s on the search for belonging in 1950s Rhodesia and Marcia Hutchinson with 2025’s most talked-about first novel – The Mercy Step.
Music highlights include Grantley Haynes’ story of UK reggae and the lasting legacy of Windrush, the Pegasus Opera Company’s Concert of Legacy and Hope, and live DJs as part of the annual day-long Black History Month Celebration hosted by Brixton Immortals Domino Club.
Art shows include Proud To Be: Unveiled, Digital Renaissance Art by Axematic, Olympia Alsawi’s portraits reflecting multiculturalism and Lambeth Archives host 65 Years of artists blending tradition with modernity curated by Nigeria Magazine.
Be part of BHM
- Brixton Library’s Radical Readers and Lambeth LGBTQ+ book group discuss BHM-themed books.
- Tony B hosts a spoken word open mic.
- Work with Wikimedia trainers on improving records of Black history on the world’s largest information resource.
- Make your own Black History ‘zine.
Events for young people
- BHM Chatterbox sessions for 7- to 11-year-olds focus on iconic Black figures like trailblazing nurse Mary Seacole and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.
- Meet Dola Amodu who became a writer to have stories for her grandchildren.
- Turn your favourite Black poet’s words into a bookmark.
- Events for schools include using drama techniques to take a trip to 1948, travel to Britain on the Empire Windrush and learn to live in a new place.
As October becomes November, Lambeth will launch The Black Classic Literature Collection, a curated selection of novels, essays, memoirs, and poetry honouring Black British literature’s rich legacy.
