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Tarik Khan and Sharon Thompson were named councillors of the year at the Small and Medium Enterprises for Labour Excellence Awards, last night. The pair were honoured at the 4th annual gala event for their work in their respective councils of Tower Hamlets and Birmingham.

Diwali is being celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists in India but its significance stretches across the world. All in all, it is estimated that up to 1 billion people observe the customs of Diwali. 

In the search for touchline representation in the top-flight it is very much a case of when it rains it pours, but in truth you’d hardly know it. The sacking of Nuno halves the number of black or mixed-raced with black coaches in the league from a grand total of two to one and leaves Patrick Viera as the only non-white manager in the premier league 

I don’t have strong childhood memories of the celebration of Black History Month. It was probably entering my late teens that I became better aware of the annual proceedings, and not until this year that I had a real understanding and investment in it. In my life growing up, it was more of an extracurricular activity that was mentioned once or twice at school.

In truth, I’m conflicted.

Black history month has long been a minor event in the yearly calendar for most people outside of the Black diaspora. The violent death of George Floyd in 2020 ignited global protests and the biggest affront we’ve had in a long time to anti-blackness. Black history month in the UK as of last year, has become more widely recognised and no longer feels like a fringe-esque event worthy of just a stale corporate lunch-time talk or half-hearted attempt to share black-related content across a workplace intranet.

As a black person existing in Britain, Black History Month has at times proven to be a point of contention. Somehow, whenever the conversation comes up, it feels like I have to step into my God-given role as ‘defender of the race’ and fight for its existence. And I know I am not the only black person who feels this way.

To me, Black History Month represents all the shared experiences we have as black people. In principle, it is a great opportunity for the younger generation to understand the importance of this history and develop a stronger connection to it, but in practice, I believe this is a hurdle that has yet to be fully overcome.

Many young people are put in a situation where, without taking a self-guided approach to studying black history, it is unlikely that they will be aware of countless events that have shaped the world they live in.

Every year, Black History Month allows me and many others to re-examine their position as black people living in the UK. With many of us being the children of either first or second-generation African or Caribbean immigrants, Black History Month in the UK should also represent an opportunity to explore the historical experiences of Black Britons - but it shouldn’t be the only opportunity.

Carla Denyer & Adrian Ramsay’s maiden conference as party leaders saw them call on the government to extend winter fuel payments amid rising energy bills. The provision of £320 to each household would cost £9bn, with the leaders of the party saying it would be funded through a one off windfall land value tax to be paid by all landlords of privately rented properties.

I see Black History Month as a time to reflect on how far we have come and also acknowledge how much more can still be done to improve the lives of black people around the world.