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Beyond October: celebrating the people and pieces of work inspiring us this Black History Month

  • licensing03
  • Oct 22
  • 6 min read

Black History Month (BHM) is in October, but its values and lessons should be embraced all year round. With that in mind the team at Truth Consulting have collated a list of people and their work who inspire us: Tyrone Smith

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Tyrone Smith is the founder of Boukman Academy—an educational organisation named after Dutty Boukman, a revolutionary leader who helped spark the Haitian Revolution. This was the first successful uprising in the Americas that led to the creation of a free Black republic (with such sentiment spreading across the Caribbean and Americas). The Haitian Revolution is a powerful symbol of resistance and freedom, but it’s important to remember that Black identity and history go far beyond the transatlantic slave trade. Boukman Academy explores Black history from earlier periods, including feudal times, and offers critical perspectives on political science, psychology, and sociology. They provide resources for all learning levels, and their second children’s book, “Warriors and Moors: North Africa and Europe,” is set to be released at the end of October. 

Learn more about Boukman Academy here: https://www.boukmanacademy.com/


Kerry James Marshall

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“I managed to see Karry’s work at the Royal Academy this October. It’s necessary not just unmissable to see. Black History month is an important marker in the calendar but work like Kerry’s shines light on the stories that don’t get told in history in a way that cannot be unseen. Don’t miss it!”   


Kerry James Marshall is one of America’s most significant living artists. Known for his bold, large-scale paintings, he reimagines the Western art tradition by placing Black figures and stories at its centre. Drawing on art history, comics, civil rights, and everyday life, Marshall creates powerful images that question who gets seen in history—and who’s been left out. This autumn, you can see his work at the Royal Academy, the largest show of Marshall’s work outside the US. Bringing together more than 70 works, including the monumental Knowledge and Wonder (1995) on loan from Chicago for the first time

See the exhibit at the Royal Academy here: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/kerry-james-marshall


Andrew Onwubolu MBE

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Introducing Andrew Onwubolu MBE, better known as Rapman — a British rapper, record producer, screenwriter, and film director. Rapman is known for creating powerful stories that capture the experiences of young Black men and women in London. His breakout project, Shiro’s Story — a musical crime drama inspired by true events from his friends’ lives in Lewisham — gained widespread acclaim for its raw storytelling and innovative format. He went on to receive the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.  

 

In November 2024, Rapman created, wrote, and directed the Netflix series Supacell — a groundbreaking show about a group of ordinary Black British people who develop unexpected superpowers. Beyond its sci-fi premise, Supacell stands out for its authentic portrayal of everyday Black British life and for raising awareness of sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects the Black community. The series debuted at #1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10, attracting over 18 million viewers in its first week, and has since been renewed for a second season. 


Ezra Collective 

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Ezra Collective celebrate Black British culture and creativity through their unique blend of jazz, Afrobeat, hip-hop, and soul. As the first-ever jazz band to win the Mercury Prize, they’ve broken barriers and brought Black British music to a wider audience. Their songs and message promote unity, joy, and pride in heritage, inspiring young people to embrace their roots and believe in the power of community and self-expression. 

Listen to Ezra Collective: https://www.ezracollective.com


Zadie Smith  

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Zadie Smith uses her writing to explore race, identity, and belonging, giving voice to diverse communities in Britain. Through her novels like White Teeth and her thought-provoking essays, she challenges stereotypes and celebrates multiculturalism. As a successful author and public thinker, she inspires readers to embrace their identities, challenge social structures around them and share their own stories with confidence. 


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Ava DuVernay 

Award winning American filmmaker known for telling powerful stories about justice, race and equality.

Her documentaries and films – ‘13th‘ (a doc about the racial inequality in the US prison system), ‘When they See Us’ (the central park five) and Selma ( a film about Martin Luther King Junior and the civil rights movement) have educated audiences globally.  

She was also the first Black woman to direct a movie nominated for a Best Picture Oscar with her Martin Luther King Jr. feature film Selma (2014).

Decolonise Fest 

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Decolonise Fest centres the experiences of punx of colour. Decolonise Fest is a space that allows us to advocate for emerging artists of colour, foster a community of like-minded people, connect punx of colour to global struggles against the legacy of colonialism, and indulge in our love of punk together. 


Julius Eastman 

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“What I am trying to achieve is to be what I am to the fullest: Black to the fullest, a musician to the fullest, a homosexual to the fullest.” 

Eastman was active in the US as both a composer and singer in the 1970’s and early 80’s and a prominent figure of the contemporary music scene of the time alongside Riley, Reich, Glass and Russell (before he went disco). He was both incredibility talented, ahead of his time and fearless; he raised questions about racism, homophobia and the power of words to provoke ( I will let you look up the title of some of his pieces). Eastman died in obscurity in 1990, as Eastman became homeless in the 1980’s a lot of his work has been lost, yet there has been a concerted effort in the past few years to bring his music back to life using recordings, scores,and old  programme notes. 


Jordan Peele 

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Jordan is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker – he’s responsible for some incredible films and very funny comedy sketches (Key and Peele), he regularly uses his platform as a filmmaker to address racial themes and Black identity. His films in particular e.g. Get Out, and Nope, are often seen as ‘social thrillers’ as within them he critically examines racism, Black experiences, and the cultural significance of Black people. He has been credited with pushing for greater Black representation and inclusion in Hollywood. 


Ken Saro Wiwa 

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Ken Saro-Wiwa was a Nigerian writer, television producer, and social rights activist who led a nonviolent campaign against the environmental damage caused by oil extraction in his homeland of Ogoniland. Royal Dutch Shell (now Shell) struck oil on Ogoni lands in 1958 – they have since extracted an estimated $30 billion worth of oil. In return the Ogoni people, received little except the chronic environmental degradation of their farmland. Saro Wiwa was executed by the Nigerian military dictatorship in 1995 on what were widely condemned as trumped-up charges. His death made him a global symbol for the struggle against military dictatorship, corporate power, and environmental exploitation. 


Ruth Ibegbuna 

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“Ruth Ibegbuna’s philosophy of bridging divides through radical connection and co-creation inspires how I think we should approach research too — creating spaces where people from different social, economic, and educational backgrounds can meet meaningfully and shape knowledge together. She's one of the Ashoka fellows I'd most wish we can work with through our Ashoka X Changemaker partnership” Matilda


Social entrepreneur and educator Ruth Ibegbuna has dedicated her career to amplifying working-class voices and reimagining youth leadership in the UK. As the founder of RECLAIM, the Roots Programme, and Rekindle School, she creates spaces where young people can lead, connect across divides, and shape their own futures. An Ashoka Fellow, Ruth’s work challenges stereotypes, bridges cultural and class gaps, and positions youth as central agents of change in British society. 


Grace Wales Bonner MBE

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Grace Wales Bonner is a British fashion Designer, born in South London with Jamaican roots. Wales Bonner attended Central Saint Martins art school, graduating in 2014, and winning the L'Oréal Professionnel Talent Award for her BA collection "Afrique". 

Since then, she has created collections for her own label but also in collaboration with Adidas. Her unique approach to menswear and tailoring, heavily influenced by her Jamaican roots has won her numerous awards such as the LVMH Young Designer Prize (2016), CFDA International men's Designer of the Year (2021), and was also appointed an MBE in 2022. Her work is inspired by a rich blend of literature, music, and art, with a focus on exploring her British-Jamaican heritage and the African diaspora through a lens of academic, sensitive, and poetic research. Key inspirations include the prose of James Baldwin, the music of Thelonious Monk, and the paintings of Lubaina Himid, alongside the "Lovers Rock" music genre and the Windrush Generation. Her designs often fuse European and Afro-Atlantic luxury traditions, drawing from diverse sources like 19th-century depictions of Black men, Afrofuturism, and Amiri Baraka's poetry.  

 

Grace Wales Bonner has also just been named creative director of men’s ready-to-wear at Hermès, marking the first woman of Black heritage to be named creative director at a major luxury house.  


 
 
 
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