Blog - Microbe Post

Celebrated annually during the month of October in the UK, Black History Month recognises the contributions, culture and history of Black people. This year, we hear from Society Champion, Mariam Bhadmus (University of Huddersfield, UK), who has reflected on this year’s theme of ‘Honouring Our Communities’.

Celebrated annually during the month of October in the UK, Black History Month recognises the contributions, culture and history of Black people. This year, we spoke to Onalenna Neo, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK, who shared her experiences as a Black scientist and reflected on the vital role of Black representation and visibility in the science.  

Celebrated annually during the month of October in the UK , Black History Month recognises the contributions, culture and history of Black people. First celebrated in October 1987, after being organised by Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, the awareness month aims to highlight the impact of Black people, from African and Caribbean descent, on British society. It does so by raising awareness of the challenges Black communities have faced, including racism and inequality, whilst also celebrating their achievements.

The month serves as an opportunity to educate the world on the often overlooked history of Black people, encouraging a deeper understanding of the UK’s multicultural heritage and the ongoing efforts for racial equality and inclusion.

The UK’s Black History Month takes place every October. Back in 2020, we looked at some of the achievements of black microbiologists, including Professor Ruth Ella Moore, Dr Alan Powell Goffe, Professor William Augustus Hinton and Dr Faith Uwadiae. This year, to celebrate the newly formed Members Panel, we asked panel member, Dr Aliyah Debbonaire, to tell us about a black scientist from history who has inspired her, for what reasons and the impact they have had on her life.

International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination takes place annually on 21 March as a commemoration of the same date in 1960 when police in South Africa killed 69 people at a peaceful protest against apartheid. This year’s theme is ‘voices for action against racism’, which specifically aims to highlight the importance of public participation and representation, freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly, as well as recognising the contribution of people and organisations in fighting racial discrimination.

This year, to raise awareness, we interviewed member and Champion, Omololu Fagunwa. Omololu discusses some of the challenges he has faced as a Black, international student in the UK.

“Black people and people of colour are still hugely underrepresented in most fields of science. The ceiling needs to be removed.” Omololu Fagunwa

This is the fourth in our series of Black History Month blog posts, in which we’re examining how black microbiologists have shaped the field of microbiology. In this post, we’ll highlight some of the work and achievements of Faith Uwadiae, Jane Hinton and Harold Amos.

This is the third in our series of Black History Month blog posts, in which we’re examining how black microbiologists have shaped the field of microbiology. In this post, we’ll highlight some of the work and achievements of Anna Epps, William Augustus Hinton and Michael Sulu. 

In this second post of our series exploring the research and lives of influential black microbiologists, we will showcase the contributions of Jessie Isabelle Price, James McCune Smith and Alan Powell Goffe.

This October, we will be examining how black microbiologists have shaped the field of microbiology. This post will be the first of four this October and will explore the research and lives of Professor Ruth Ella Moore, Professor A. Oveta Fuller and Onesimus, the Boston man credited for early inoculation practices.