At Imkaan, this theme resonates deeply with our work and our purpose. Power is not only about influence or visibility - it is about the collective strength of Black and minoritised women who have always resisted violence, demanded justice, and reshaped society in ways too often erased from mainstream history. Pride is not only about heritage and culture - it is about walking unapologetically in our truth as Black feminists, and knowing that our contributions, resilience, and brilliance matter.

This year’s Black History Month also pays particularly important anniversaries:

• 60 years since the Race Relations Act (1965), a law born from relentless community activism.

• 60 years since the assassination of Malcolm X, whose call for liberation extended beyond borders.

• 80 years since the Fifth Pan-African Congress, where leaders demanded an end to colonial rule.

• We also join BHM org in honouring the lives and legacies of Paul Stephenson OBE (1937 - 2024), who led the Bristol Bus Boycott, and Lord Herman Ouseley (1945 - 2024), whose work reshaped national conversations on race and equity.

These moments remind us: progress has never been given freely. It has always been fought for. And Black women have always been central in that fight - often unrecognised, but always leading.

• From organising and protesting in the streets, to speaking truth in boardrooms and community halls.

• From shaping policies that protect women and girls, to creating culture, art, and knowledge that carry our voices forward.

• From the women working daily in our member organisations, supporting survivors and building safer futures, to the women and girls they serve who endure racism, sexism, misogyny and violence, yet continue to resist, rebuild, and rise.

For us, “standing firm in power and pride” is not a slogan for the month. It is daily practice. It is in how we resist violence against women and girls, how we build spaces for Black and minoritised women to lead, rebuild, revive, thrive. And how we refuse to compromise on justice and dignity.

Black History Month is not only a time to look back. It is also a call to action: to own our spaces, raise our voices, and continue shaping a future where liberation is not just imagined but lived.

Every month is Black History Month at Imkaan - because the work of freedom, healing, and justice continues every day.