Reclaiming narratives for Black History Month 2024

By GM Moving | 25 October 2024 | TAGS: commitment to inclusion, Racism, Black History Month

The theme for Black History Month this year is "Reclaiming Narratives".

This theme highlights the importance of recognising Black voices and challenging stereotypes. In Greater Manchester, we celebrate figures like Dina Asher-Smith and Marcus Rashford making great impact in sports, but we also need to highlight the stories of leadership and community support that often go unrecognised. With this in mind, we're sharing success stories and resources from across our network of partners. 

Sport England are continuing to promote inclusivity through the ACE Programme and This Girl Can, highlighting inspiring stories from Black women and encouraging participation in sports. You can read more about the research and success of these programmes in the articles from Sport England and Let Data Do the Talking.

Our race, and the stereotypes of others, should never exclude us from movement and physical activity.

Greater Manchester Moving are committed to community safety and inclusion, and we're working on several projects to make this better, so we can all move more. We recently wrote a response to the racist disorder seen across the UK, which you can read here: Active Lives for All: Positive Action and Support in Challenging Times.

Resources and stories from across the network

• Seren Jones, co-founder of Black Swimming Association, considers diversity in aquatics and the true meaning of Black History Month to many in the Black community: You may think it's Black History Month, but to us it's just October | Sport England
• A look at the latest Active Lives data, celebrating good results and looking at what needs to change to maximise Black people's activity levels: Let the data do the talking | Sport England
• A charity supporting diverse talent 'from the Grassroots to the Elite': The Ace Programme Charity
• Sporting Equals is helping Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities participate in sports: Sporting Equals

Race, Racism and Well-being: The Facts

We know that Black communities face serious challenges in health and activity across the country. For example, Black people are 20% less likely to receive diabetes treatment, and have higher rates of high blood pressure than white people (Institute of Race Relations). Nearly half of Black young people report experiencing racism in sports (Sported, Kick It Out), and over one-third of people from minority groups in the UK have faced racial violence (King’s College London). 

About GM Moving 

GM Moving is a charity transforming the physical activity landscape in Greater Manchester by encouraging inclusive and accessible participation for all. 

Our Commitment to Action 

At GM Moving, our shared purpose is to change lives through participation in movement, physical activity, and sport. 

Our mission is active lives for all. This means doing everything we can to understand and remove the barriers that communities face. 

We can only achieve this by working in partnership with the people who experience those barriers.