Black History Month, which takes place from October 1-31, is an annual event to help promote and celebrate black contributions to British society, and to ultimately promote a better knowledge and understanding of the history of the black community.
The club’s Black History Month celebration kicks off this month and will continue to run throughout the season, offering fans and club staff the chance to access a range of cultural activities.
Africa Oye, which stages the UK’s largest free festival of African music and culture in Liverpool, will provide club staff with a virtual concert and a digital music playlist to celebrate black heritage and diversity.
The club will also host weekly Red Talks from a range of knowledgeable and influential speakers, including Troy Townsend, head of development at Kick It Out, and Richard Benjamin, head of the International Slavery Museum, to provide cultural insight, understanding and constructive feedback as to how the club and its fans can be more inclusive going forward.
LFC Foundation, the club’s official charity, will be using their weekly programmes to educate participants on the importance of Black History Month and inclusion. Subject to local COVID-19 government restrictions, plans are in place to stage a range of Black History Month and refugee football tournaments that will be held at Anfield Sports and Community Centre to reiterate the importance of inclusion in football.
First-team players from both the men’s and women’s team will also be playing their part by participating in various LFC Foundation virtual education sessions throughout the season that are designed to educate teens at local secondary schools on the issues of race discrimination and importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Players at the academies, male and female, will also receive educational sessions on black history and unconscious bias training. Additional educational resources covering a range of subjects relating to equality, diversity and inclusion will be available for staff, parents and fans to access.
Lynne Stockton Howard, senior vice president, HR, said: “Celebrating Black History Month is really important to everyone at the club and is an opportunity for us to continue to raise awareness and educate our staff, players and fans about how this has shaped our society.
“During October and throughout the 2020-21 season, it’s our intention as a club to highlight the importance of racial diversity and to commemorate the great history and heritage of our black community.
“At the end of this month of focus, the club looks forward to continuing its activities in support of racial equality and to celebrate the contribution of black people, past and present, going forward.
“As well as our own work we will be collaborating with the Premier League, Kick It Out, Show Racism the Red Card, and the FA on a number of key equality, diversity and inclusion campaigns throughout the year to help drive change and make the football community more inclusive.”