Honouring Our Past, Celebrating Our Community, Inspiring the Future

Step into an evening of culture, creativity and community as York St John University celebrates Black History Month with Roots, Resilience and Rising Futures.

This vibrant event will honour the achievements and experiences of the past, celebrate the strength of our community today and inspire hope for the future. Enjoy film, engaging presentations, inspiring speeches, expressive dance and live musical performances exploring Black history, culture, identity and ancestral roots.

Whether you want to learn, reflect, connect with others or enjoy an uplifting evening, everyone is welcome. Come along, share in the celebration and recognise the voices, creativity and contributions that continue to shape our community.

Agenda

5.45pm Arrivals

6.00pm Welcome

6.05pm Opening speeches from York St John

6.25pm Musical performance by YSJ alumni, Hashani

6.35pm Talk by Dr Kelechi Uleanya (University of York)

6.45pm Short film by YSJ alumni, Winifed Iguwa

7.10pm Arc of Life Presentation by Mazzy

7.20pm Speech by Nigerian Student Society Rep

7.30pm Presentation by Dr Minoo Esfihani

7.40pm Message from Nigerians in York Community Rep

7.50pm Dancing

8.00pm Close

Events Access & Inclusivity

At York St John University we are committed to making our events as welcoming and inclusive for as many people as possible.

If you are planning to attend one of our events and have specific access requirements, including wheelchair access, then please contact us by e: events@yorksj.ac.uk or t: 01904 876318 and we will make every effort to accommodate you.

If you need a suitable seat reserved for you (and your companions), please let us know, preferably at least one week before the event. Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning may be requested in advance. Please contact us as soon as possible (ideally at least 3 weeks before the date of the event) if you require either BSL interpretation or captioning. We will try our best but cannot guarantee provision.

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech within the law and academic freedom are core principles of our University and underpin our mission to foster intellectual curiosity, rigorous debate, and the pursuit of knowledge. Our staff / students / SU colleagues are entitled to express their ideas and views, providing they do not violate the law. The law rightly prohibits speech that incites violence, terrorism and hate, but does not prohibit speech that others may find upsetting or offensive.

As a University that embodies social justice, we expect people to treat each other with dignity and respect, but it is not our role to censor ways of thinking or stifle debate between those who hold opposing views.

We understand that it can be frustrating to face views and perspectives that do not reflect our inclusive ethos at York St John University. However, we will not take disciplinary action against staff or students for lawful expression of their views, regardless of petitions, media campaigns or other external pressures.

Privacy Policy

York St John University will use the data you submit in Eventbrite for the purposes of administering this event. York St John University utilises third party software for data storage, tracking and analysis activity but your details will not be used by any of these third parties in order to contact you Any data you share with us will be used to help us improve your event experience and for event tracking and analysis activity within the University.

We will only send you important information and reminders related to the event you have booked unless you tell us otherwise. During the booking process, if you opt-in to receive emails about the latest events hosted and supported by York St John University, you consent to York St John University contacting you with relevant information.

If you no longer wish to hear from us you can opt-out at any time by changing your contact preferences via the link in emails you receive from us or by emailing events@yorksj.ac.uk.

Description supplied by the event organiser.