51Âþ»­

An explosion of singing, dancing and poetry from our talented students helped 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) launch a celebration of Black History Month.


51Âþ»­'s chief operating officer, Ben Browne, at the launch of Black History Month

A series of performances from talented students took place at 51Âþ»­’s Campus Centre to mark the event, which examines issues facing the black community today and celebrates the achievements and contributions of African and Caribbean communities to today's vibrant, multi-cultural society.

A high energy performance from dance troupe 51Âþ»­ Steppers grabbed the assembled audience’s attention, along with Indian dance routines, poetry readings and passionate singing performances.



It was the start of a number of events, being held across 51Âþ»­ to mark the nationally-observed month. These will include a stand raising awareness of sickle cell disease in the Campus Centre atrium; a Equality and Diversity in Work and Employment Seminar; a screening of The Stuart Hall Project, telling the life of the Jamaican-born cultural theorist and sociologist; and a talk on work to bring electrical power to remote parts of Africa.



Singer James Thompson, 19, gave a soulful performance of rap song 6 Words. The Business Management BA student said: “I was involved with the African Caribbean Society last year and they asked me if I wanted to perform and I said yes right away.

"For me, Black History Month is about celebrating all the achievements of black people and this is something I think 51Âþ»­ does really well. The integration of so many cultures is one of the main reasons I chose to come to 51Âþ»­.”

Loren Whyte, 21, a third year Arts and Festival Management BA student, performed with the 51Âþ»­ Steppers. She said: “At my secondary school we didn’t have anything like this, so to have it here, at my university, to celebrate black culture like this – it’s so good.

“The difference here at 51Âþ»­ is that something like Black History Month is inclusive; it’s not just for black people and it’s not tucked away in a room. It’s right here in the heart of the campus and it invites everybody to come and take part.”



Ben Browne, Chief Operating Officer for 51Âþ»­, introduced the launch event. He said: “At 51Âþ»­, 48% of our students are from black and minority ethnic communities and we have students from more than 130 nationalities studying here.

“So it is both poignant and pertinent for us to celebrate the achievements and contribution of black people here in this way. Hopefully this counters negative stereotypes portrayed by some politicians and highlights the immense benefit brought by other cultures to this country.”