October marks the start of Black History Month in the UK, a time to celebrate and recognise the invaluable contributions and rich history of black communities of African and Caribbean descent. It’s also an opportunity to advocate for racial equality and social justice.
Southwark Cathedral Black History Month Service 2025
This year, we held a Celebration of Identity & Belonging, at Southwark Cathedral thanksgiving with a Eucharist celebration, followed by a workshop focused on our theme, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15b).
Read more about this year’s service here.
You can also view photos from this year’s service on our Flickr stream here.
|
Download the Celebration of Identity & Belonging Order of Service (Saturday 4 October 2025). |
A poster for this year’s event can be downloaded here.
If you were unable to join us, you can watch back this year’s service and workshop on Southwark Cathedral’s YouTube Channel here.
There are lots of special services and events taking place across the diocese – some of them can be found here.
Anti-racism
In 2021, Southwark launched its Anti-Racism Charter (ARC) – a strategy to enhance ethnic diversity and inclusion across the Diocese of Southwark. The charter was unanimously approved at Diocesan Synod in March 2021, following a discussion led by The Rt Revd Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon and Diocesan Lead on Social and Racial Justice, who was Archdeacon of Croydon at the time.
Standing against racism in all its forms – the aim of the ARC is to encourage parishes to refer to the charter and actively counter, disrupt and oppose racial injustice.
Read more about the ARC here.
To further support our parishes in exploring and implementing the key principles of the ARC and to encourage practical action, a parish study resource has been released by the team this year. It’s a Bible study programme that consists of four parts, each of which has been contributed by a different person from our diocese – reflecting a diversity of experiences and perspectives. People can engage with these resources in their parishes and share their feedback.
Email the team to request copies of the resource via [email protected] or submit your feedback here: tinyurl.com/bdenn8uh
Video: Bishop Rosemarie explores why anti-racism is so crucial to our Christian faith.
BHM Prayers and Resources
- A prayer for Black History Month: A special prayer for use in your services throughout October.
- Liturgical Resources for Black History Month: A range of resources to help churches to mark the month, including services of the Word, a Eucharistic service, prayers of lament and commission, and additional resources for Bible studies, youth work, Messy Church, and music.
- If Racism Vanished for a Day: a book to enable the children to talk in a positive way about themselves and their lives by the RESPECT project – a project aimed at understanding the experiences and impacts of racism on 10 – 11 year olds, and which recommendations on how schools might better support children and teachers.
More resources can be found on the Church of England website.
BHM 2025 resources are also available from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
A Collect for Black History Month
Compassionate God,
who sent Jesus Christ
to deliver us from all manner of injustices and inequalities,
create in us new hearts and enlarged visions,
to see the image of God in every person
irrespective of background, race and ethnicity.
May we be generous in our love of others
as we work towards ending misunderstanding, racism and injustice; creating communities of human flourishing,
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Standing Firm in Power and Pride
The national theme for Black History Month UK 2025 is ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’ a powerful tribute to the resilience, strength, and unwavering commitment to progress that defines the Black community across the globe. This year, the theme highlights the profound contributions made by black people be they leaders, activists, or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity, and growth. The theme focuses on two core values: power and pride. Read more about this here.
Latest from our
Black History Month Blogs
