Royal Greenwich is proud to be called home by people from all different walks of life and this year’s varied programme shared stories and moments in black and minority ethnic history that have shaped the borough we live in today.

Europe’s first majority BME orchestra Chineke! – who will be taking up residence in our new creative district Woolwich Works – provided music workshops with primary and secondary schools across the borough as well as performing at our event at Woolwich Town Hall on 9 October.

Local female entrepreneurs showcased a range of African-Caribbean inspired hand-made goods at Made in Greenwich, the Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency’s (GCDA) community shop in conjunction with the Black Female Entrepreneur Group (BFEG).

For the first time ever, pedestrian crossings in Eltham, Greenwich, Plumstead and Woolwich town centres were painted in the pan-African colours of red, gold, green and black to celebrate inclusivity and mark the occasion. The crossings were funded by U+I, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich Hospital Trust, the University of Greenwich, Berkeley Group, Peabody.

We also worked with community groups to create a film marking Black History Month 2019 which shares some of our residents' experiences and celebrates the rich heritage we have in our borough (above).

An African card making workshop, a talk on black entrepreneurs in history, children’s weekly craft workshops and a Martin Luther King tribute were also on the line-up of events that took place across all corners of the borough, providing something for everyone. 

Many more events and activities took place at our community centres, libraries, with our partner organisations and more. Thank you to everyone involved and we hope you had a chance to get along to some of the events.