Our Collections: Spotlight on Library Resources Blog Posts

Spotlight on: Library Resources for Black History Month 2025

In October we celebrate Black History Month (BHM) here in the UK, with range of special events on campus and beyond. This year's theme is "Standing Firm in Power and Pride", and in this post we showcase some of the diverse Library resources that are available to read, watch or listen to - online and/or here in the library - for your enjoyment and to enhance knowledge and understanding of Black history. 

Word up!

Starting with the written word, we have a wide range of books in every format (print, audio, eBook) on many aspects of Black lives. Our Library displays on the ground floor (pictured above) feature just a small selection of what is available. You can explore our accompanying reading lists for details of all these books and more. The Non-fiction list has sections on Black British, American, LGBTQ+, and women's history, including biographies, art and culture. The Fiction list gives details of creative works - novels, plays, poetry, children's literature, films and more - by Black people from all over the world. 

Beyond the bookshelves, you can explore some of our specialist academic resources such as Proquest One Literature, a database of literature texts and criticism that includes an extensive Black Writing Collection, comprising: African American Poetry, African Writers Series, Black Short Fiction and Folklore, Black Women Writers, and Caribbean Literature.  

Listen Up!

If you prefer to digest your books in audible format, download the free Libby app for access to a wide range of audiobooks relating to Black history. Browse the app for biographies of major historical figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and Black leaders in sports, arts and business; or enjoy some leisure time with novels, poetry, and even Caribbean cookery books. 

Above: just some of the BHM titles available as eBooks or audiobooks via the Libby app.

Watch it!

There are also films by the score for you to stream free of charge via the Library's online subscriptions. 

Kanopy streaming platform gives you access to a vast range of feature films, documentaries and more. Their selection for Black History Month includes Steve McQueen's Small Axe series, as well as films about influential figures such as Marcus Garvey, Franz Fanon, Stuart Hall, and Lee "Scratch" Perry, and the history of British reggae.

The Library also provides free access to the BFI Player for Higher Education, a film streaming service run by the British Film Institute especially for universities. Their expertly curated collections include not only a Black Cinema list, but also "Black Debutantes" - early works by Black women directors. 

Picture This!

You also have access to sources of visual art, photography and other images, all free for educational use via the Library's subscriptions. ARTSTOR can be searched by subject terms such as African American Artists, revealing a rich visual record of diverse Black lives (below).

The African and Asian Visual Artists Archive (AAVAA) is just one of the curated collections available to explore online via VADS, the Visual Arts Data Service. 

"Acrobats II", by Juginder Lamba (VADS)

Black History at Roehampton 

Our College archives reveal a history of Black students and staff going back a century or more. Read this Snapshot from the Archives to find out about some of our former colleagues from Africa and the Caribbean.

Above: former Southlands student Florence Addison (centre) with Ghana's delegation to the UN General Assembly in 1958.

Beyond Roehampton

London's rich cultural history owes a vast debt to people from all over the world, but especially those of African and Caribbean heritage. The Black Cultural Archives in Brixton (open by appointment) serves to  document and preserve this unique contribution.  The Stuart Hall Library at Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) in central London features art and cultural publications created by people of the Global Majority (African, Asian, Caribbean, Polynesian, Latinx, and Diaspora). And there are plenty of events for you to explore all over London during Black History Month - see this guide for details. 

This post is just a brief overview of resources you may find useful in relation to Black History Month. The Library's commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), however, continues year-round in all aspects of our services and collections. See our EDI guide for more information.