We’re marking Black History Month, and celebrating the achievements of Black creatives, heroes, campaigners and communities. Launched in 1987, this month-long festival focuses on education, exhibitions, talks and services while remembering Black history from across the world. And there’s a host of events across London to raise awareness.

Black History Tube map

Celebrate the contribution Black people have made to the Capital with the reimagined Black History Tube map. TfL has teamed up with the Black Cultural Archives to create the first map of its kind, showcasing the rich and varied contribution Black people have made to London. From pre-Tudor right through to the present day, it includes Pablo Fanque (Embankment), the first Black British circus owner; teacher, poet-playwright, composer and community activist Cecile Nobrega (St Pauls); and Evelyn Dove (Sudbury Town), who made history in 1939 as the first black singer to feature on BBC Radio.

London, Sugar & Slavery free gallery

The Museum of London Docklands offers visitors the chance to see up close the impact of the trade with its London, Sugar and Slavery exhibition. The museum even plays a central role in this story, built at the time of the transatlantic slave trade and used to store the sugar from the West Indian plantations where enslaved men, women and children worked.

Book the Best London Walking Tours

Choose from 12 walking tours of London, with each area carefully selected for its importance. Offering interactive discussion and educational experiences, you’ll uncover more than 3,500 years of London’s Black history the team involves diverse experts, authors and academics. Each walk lasts around two hours, with three indoors at London’s most prestigious art galleries – Tate Britain, National Gallery and The Wallace Collection.

Black Culture Market

Black Culture Market takes place Downstairs at The Department Store in Brixton on October 1 and 2. The free event includes food, fashion, art, books, jewellery and beauty with visitors getting the chance to support and discover a host of new businesses and talents.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

South African powerhouse Ladysmith Black Mambazo returns to the UK for two concerts on Saturday 15 October (2.30pm & 7.30pm) at The Southbank’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Most famous for their appearance on Paul Simon’s iconic Graceland and described by Nelson Mandela as “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors”, they’ll be performing a collection of uplifting songs. The special guest is Cameroon-born guitarist and singer Muntu Valdo.

Windrush Stories | The British Library

Nearly 75 years ago, the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, bringing with it hundreds of people from the Caribbean. Today, Windrush Stories at The British Library invites us to consider a longer, more complicated and ongoing relationship between Britain and the Caribbean.

Nigeria60: 60 Years of Independence – Horniman Museum and Gardens

Take the journey through more than 60 years of Nigerian independence as part of Nigeria60 at the Horniman Museum. The country’s story is told through objects, images and words collected by designer and artist Alafuro Sikoki-Coleman, and is part of a wider conversation focusing on the way memories of Nigerian independence are imprinted in the present.

The Extraordinary Life of Charles Ignatius Sancho with Paterson Joseph

Acclaimed British actor Paterson Joseph will draw from his highly anticipated debut novel to tell the extraordinary story of 18th-century writer, abolitionist and composer Charles Ignatius Sancho. The event on Friday 14 October takes place at the British Library and will be simultaneously live streamed.

The Music of Otis Redding – The Jazz Cafe

Experience the sound of Otis Redding as two of the UK’s most exciting soul acts join forces to celebrate the King of Soul. This uplifting show at The Jazz Café on Saturday 8 October, features Reuben Richards and The Jezebel Sextet. Guaranteed to get those feet tapping, expect an array of classics including Respect, My Girl, Mr Pitiful and Try A Little Tenderness performed by the eight-piece band.