For this year’s Black History Month, the theme is ‘saluting our sisters’ to highlight and showcase the vital roles that Black women have played throughout history in everything from literature to health care. The month serves as a celebration of historic figures such as Mary Seacole, Claudia Jones and Olive Morris, while addressing the current inequalities and need for change in today’s society.

From exhibitions to walking tours, concerts and festivals, these are some of the Black History Month events taking place in the next few weeks that are worth attending.

Women in Science: Women of Colour at the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is hosting free tours on 10 October focusing on women of colour in the world of science so that people can learn about their work and contribution to our understanding of life on Earth. The tours will delve into what got them into science to begin with and their career journeys.

Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce

Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce, is being hosted at the London Transport Museum to celebrate the role Caribbean communities have had in London’s transport system. This exhibition will include stories from multiple generations of Caribbean people who worked for London Transport or currently work for Transport for London (TfL).

The Missing Thread

Hosted by Somerset House, The Missing Thread highlights the stories of Black British fashion – from the 1970s to the present day – and how cultural, socio-economic and political landscapes shaped this design history. The exhibition is running until January 2024, so you have plenty of time to pop in for a visit.

The Black British Book Festival

Back for its third year at the Southbank Centre, this one-day book festival will platform and celebrate Black British authors across a range of genres. Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock will feature at the festival’s opening ceremony, launching her new book Believe. Other events will include Oti Mabuse, Candice Brathwaite, Liv Little and Dawn Butler.

Black History Walks

Black History Walks will be organising several walking tours over the course of the month that’ll focus on particular communities or moments in history that tend to get overlooked or are simply not taught in our education system. Some of the tours include a tour of Tate Britain, a Hackney Black history walk and Regent’s Canal walk.

Partnering with the New Black Film Collective, the Museum of London Docklands is hosting a screening of Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess on 13 October, which explores the history of Jamaica’s only female national hero.

On 13 October, the Southbank Centre will bring the classical music of three iconic Black composers to the stage. The programme includes performances from violinist Randall Goosby and pianist Zhu Wang, as well as a Q&A session with Goosby before the musical part of the evening.

Peckham – otherwise known as Little Lagos – is home to one of the largest Nigerian communities in the UK and this free exhibition delves into the connections between Lagos and Peckham. From culture to shared history, it showcases work by 13 Nigerian and British Nigerian artists in the form of photography, sound and film.

An evening with Afua Hirsch

Marking the release of her new book, Decolonising My Body, author Afua Hirsch will be in conversation with actor Adjoa Andoh on 17 October chatting about her global exploration of beauty practices, Eurocentric beauty standards as well as a few untold personal anecdotes.

Images: courtesy of Natural History Museum; Somerset House; Black British Book Festival; Black History Walks; Southbank Centre; Museum of London Docklands; Adeyemi Michael, Entitled, 2018/South London Gallery; Fane Productions