Reclaiming narratives for Black History Month and beyond
Across the UK, a wealth of organisations are dedicated to telling Black Muslim stories. Here are just a few of them
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For 37 years, 1 October has marked the start of Black History Month in the UK. The official theme for 2024 is Reclaiming Narratives, highlighting the untold successes, contributions and complex histories of Black Britain. Here are some of the many organisations dedicated to telling the stories of the country’s diverse range of Black Muslim communities.
The Black Muslim Women Healing Collective
This London-based group was founded as a space for Black Muslim women to process their feelings and experiences amid the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020. Now, the organisation provides workshops, monthly healing circles and a literary salon. The collective has also created a directory of Black Muslim female therapists and practitioners, such as hypnotherapists, dietitians and doulas.
Founded in 2021, this London-based organisation aims to celebrate the rich history of Black Muslim life in Britain. Since its launch, it has run a range of events, including panel discussions exploring Black Muslim identity and fundraisers for Sudan and Palestine. BMC UK also hosts the annual #BlackoutEid event, an arts and culture showcase of musical performances, comedy sets and spoken word by members of the Somali, Sudanese and Sierra Leonean communities.
Established by writer and filmmaker Aliyah Hasinah in 2020, London-based Black Curatorial promotes the work of Black artists and exhibition organisers, and aims to increase the presence of Black voices in curatorial roles. The group holds shows, exhibition visits, development programmes, residencies and workshops, both online and in various London galleries and is dedicated to Black art and culture across various disciplines — from photography to painting and printmaking.
Based in Bristol, this feminist art collective was born from the 2020 research project Camel Meat and Cassette Tapes, documenting the way that, in the 1980s, many members of the UK Somali community used cassettes to exchange messages with relatives back home. Founded by Fozia Ismail and Ayan Cilmi, the group aims to preserve Somali oral traditions, literature and storytelling through workshops and performances.
This 35,000-strong online community of Black Muslim women and girls launched on Instagram in 2018. Since then, it has hosted meet-ups in the UK and the US, including pop-up shopping events, theatre trips and social dinners. Through blog posts and digital content, it has created a loyal following across the world, discussing everyday dilemmas and featuring regular Instagram story takeovers by followers.
Co-founded by Hannah Abdule in 2019, theatre company Side eYe Productions gives Black Muslim women, particularly from the Somali community, the space to share their stories on stage. Since its launch, the company has staged Dugsi Dayz, an award-winning play about Somali Islamic school life, and Desperate Times, which explores the life of a Muslim teacher turned petty thief. Desperate Times will commence a UK tour on 31 October at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool, before showing in Birmingham, Sheffield and Bristol.
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