Black History Month 2025
An opportunity to remember and celebrate black history, heritage, culture and achievements.
Every October, Black History Month offers a valuable opportunity to reflect, learn, and celebrate. It is a time to recognise the achievements and contributions of the Black British community and to acknowledge the resilience and pride that continue to shape our society today.
This year’s theme, “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” focuses on the confidence and leadership of Black people across the UK.
Here at the University of Surrey, our focus on Black History Month forms part of our far-reaching and long-term strategy to support equality, diversity and inclusion across the board.
To mark this year’s Black History Month, we are pleased to invite you to several events.
Events and activities for students
Equality Network Meeting
Wednesday 8 October 2025, 1:00pm - 1:30pm, Online
Our main Student Equality Network meeting with introductions, updates and an overall theme of BHM. This will highlight what the Union/University have planned for the month and other discussion points, beyond BHM.
Rep Yuh Flag Rubix night
Wednesday 15 October 2025, 11:00pm - 3:00am, Rubix, Students' Union
REP YUH FLAG is Rubix’s unmissable club night celebrating culture, music and bring everyone together. Show your pride, wear your flag and vibe to global sounds all night long. Don’t miss out!
Race Equality Meeting
Wednesday 22 October 2025, 1:00pm - 1:45pm, Online
This meeting will explore the Black student experience and looking at both current efforts and potential opportunities to improve representation and encourage open dialogue at the University and Union.
‘Let’s talk’ pop-up opportunity
Tuesday 28 October 2025, from 2:00pm, Library (1st floor), Stag Hill campus
Meet with Steve Elliott, Centre for Wellbeing counsellor, for an informal chat about mental health in minority communities.
Society Games Afternoon
Wednesday 22 October 2025, 4:00pm - 6:00pm, The Front Room, Stag Hill campus
Link up, play hard, and laugh louder! We’re bringing societies together for an evening of connection, good vibes, and pure fun!
Events for all
Student Curator Display
From Monday 13 October - Friday 31 October 2025, Library, Stag Hill campus
Visit our student curator project highlighting stories by and about black people, focusing on empowerment and pride. Our display will include book recommendations, a prize draw for some exciting titles and a board with different questions you can answer.
Film screening: Black Panther
Tuesday 14 October 2025, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, LTD, Stag Hill campus
Join us for an exciting adventure in Wakanda, as we follow the infamous story of King T'Challa, Marvel's Black Panther. Our film screening will be complete with snacks, drinks, and Movie Bingo. This film screening is being hosted by the Students’ Union in collaboration with FilmSoc and DisneySoc.
Workshop: Shaping Black Futures in Film
Thursday 16 October 2025, 5:00pm - 8:00pm, LTE, Stag Hill campus
Join us for an exclusive workshop about postcolonial fictions through the lens of Marvel's Black Panther. This intriguing session will include a talk by Dr Gabriele Lazzari, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Literature and Languages. His interactive session will focus on how Black Panther rethinks histories of oppression to offer a vision of more just futures. We will discuss key themes, cultural context, and the film’s powerful combination of science fiction and Afrofuturism.
Film screening: Black Panther - Wakanda Forever
Friday 17 October 2025, 7:00pm - 10:00pm, LTD, Stag Hill campus
Join us for an exciting postcolonial adventure, as we follow Shuri's journey towards becoming Marvel's Black Panther after the death of our beloved King T'Challa. Our film screening will be complete with snacks, drinks, and colouring postcards. This film screening is being hosted by the Students’ Union in collaboration with FilmSoc and DisneySoc.
Surrey Black Scholars Speaker Series 2025
We are pleased to announce the programme of events for this year's Surrey Black Scholars Speaker Series. These are free events open to all and refreshments and networking opportunities will be available after each event, all of which will be taking place in-person.
Decolonisation of the university at a crossroads - challenges, divergences, and possibilities
Thursday 30 October 2025, 4:15pm - 7:00pm, 05DK03, Stag Hill campus
Join us for this presentation by Dr Gurnam Singh, Associate Professor (Hon) of Sociology, University of Warwick, as he examines the challenges that continue to shape both the conceptualisation and implementation of decolonisation. It asks whether the movement has reached an impasse, and if so, what futures might be imagined beyond it.
Workshop: 4:15 - 5:10pm/Talk: 5:15pm - 6:00pm/Refreshments and networking opportunities: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Black teachers: portraits of resistance, audacity and hope
Thursday 6 November 2025, 5:00pm - 6:00pm, 05DK03, Stag Hill campus
With Professor Christine Callender – Professor in Educational Equity and Social Justice, UCL Institute of Education
“How can I thrive in an institution that hates me?”: The impact of racism on Black student mental health and the power of peer support
Thursday 13 November 2025, 5:00pm - 6:00pm, 17DK02, Stag Hill campus
With Dr Nkasi Stoll – Research Associate, Kings College London
Black and Minority Ethnic Staff and Mental Health in the Academy
Thursday 13 November 2025, 6:00pm - 7:00pm, 17DK02, Stag Hill campus
With Professor Jason Arday – Professor in Sociology of Education, University of Cambridge.
Power and liberation through emotional connectivity: Black women's experiences in leisure and educational spaces
Thursday 27 November 2025, 5:00pm - 6:00pm, 02DK03, Stag Hill campus
With Professor Donna Chambers – Professor in Critical Cultural Studies, Northumbria University.
Food and drink offers
- Enjoy African and Caribbean inspired specials, including Southern style chicken gumbo, jerk chicken wings and Cajun style jollof rice, at Hillside Food Court. Prices from £2.50.
- Sample the new "Diaspora Punch" cocktail at Wates House.
More opportunities
Meet other students at a club or society
There are over 160 clubs and societies to choose from at Surrey. They're a great opportunity to meet likeminded people and learn new skills.
Join the SEED Network for staff and postgraduate researchers
SEED is a safe space for staff and postgraduate researchers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to explore collective identity related to race and ethnicity.
Future Leaders
Future Leaders is an extracurricular programme open to all undergraduate widening participation (WP) students designed to empower them to thrive at university and beyond.
Co-created with the Students' Union, Future Leaders offers participants access to personalised support and enriching opportunities that foster confidence, build community, and develop essential skills for both academic and career success.
Reciprocal Mentoring for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programme
We are pleased to announce that the University of Surrey is launching a pioneering Reciprocal Mentoring for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programme.
We are looking for courageous Black British PGR students taking part in our Surrey Black Scholars programme, who believe that they can support our leaders to develop their cultural humility. Equally, we are looking for University of Surrey leaders, senior managers, or key influencers, who are willing and able to deeply reflect upon and challenge their attitudes to inclusion, particularly in relation to race.
This programme will run for a 6-month period.
Student support and advice relating to Race and Racial Discrimination
The Centre for Wellbeing (CWB) recognise the challenges faced by many students of colour and those from diverse minority backgrounds. The team welcome the opportunity to provide specific support especially in matters of racial discrimination, harassment, overt racism or microaggressions.
You can find out how to access specific support for Race and Racial Discrimination on MySurrey.
Supporting and working towards race equality at Surrey
We are committed to ensuring that our institutional values focus on creating equitable opportunities and outcomes for minoritised groups at Surrey. We have developed and implemented an extensive action plan that includes a focus on a reduction of the awarding gap between Black, Asian and minority ethnic students and White students, and a comprehensive approach to improving race equality for staff and students.
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