Black History Month 2024
This year’s theme is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ underscoring “a commitment to correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold success stories and the full complexity of Black heritage.”
The NUJ continues to reflect the historic role of journalists, including by celebrating the life of Claudia Jones, widely accredited as one of the leading organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival. Jones was a formidable journalist and activist and also a founding member of the West Indian Gazette.
NUJ action
The union’s George Viner Memorial fund has helped over 150 Black and minority ethnic student journalists with funding for their studies. It aims to broaden the diversity of journalists working in British and Irish Media today; previous scholars including Monika Plaha have spoken positively about the impact of the fund.
Black History Month is also an opportunity to discuss race in the workplace. Organisations should ensure their workforce understands the critical role of history and the ways in which systemic racism can play out in respect of terms and conditions, career progression and representation. Employers should take steps to address problems, including by addressing the ethnicity pay gap.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) findings in 2023 using data from the Annual Population Survey which ran between 2012 to 2022, showed in stark data analysis that the UK's ethnicity pay gap has persisted since 2012, as some ethnic groups continue to earn less on average than their White British counterparts.
The TUC will hold a Racial Justice and Equality conference on 4 December bringing together trade union activists, members, union officials, and the wider anti-racism movement to explore the challenges faced by Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) workers in the workplace.
The conference will create a space for unions to gather and discuss topics including:
- structural racism in the workplace
- the rise of the far right
- health and safety concerns for BME workers
Register for the TUC conference.
Reclaiming Narratives: theme for Black History Month 2024