Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1932, Hall graduated from Oxford University to become Director of the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Professor of Sociology at the Open University, television presenter, journal editor, President of the British Sociological Association, and chair of two arts organisations. He famously coined the term ‘Thatcherism’.

A prominent and award-winning scholar, Gilroy rewrote the established narrative of global history, overturning romantic stories of witness, religion and the mythical ethnic homogeneity of Britain before the slave trade, challenged existing notions of trade, and breathed new life into the humanist tradition by involving philosophy, sociology, musicology, literature, history and critical theory into his study of the humanities and extending his arguments into scholarly and political discourses on race and anti-racism.

Image credit: K. Kendall, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”, Audre Lorde dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia

Friday 18 October is World Menopause Day. Since 2009, the world has celebrated the changing lives of women and campaigned to break the silence around women’s lived experience of ageing and bodily change and foster a greater awareness of the changes women experience during the menopause and the perimenopause and the support options available.

bell hooks’ work explored the interaction of sexism, racism and economic disparity. Her seminal work Ain’t I a Woman? was named one of the 20 most influential books published in 20 years.  A lifelong activist, hooks insisted that social theory had to speak to and impact the experience of the oppressed to have value: that “our intellectual work will never impact on their lives if we do not move it out of the academy”.

ow Racism the Red Card will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Wear Red Day on Friday 18 October 2024. Show your support by dressing in something red for Wear Red Day on Friday then share your selfie with us using hashtag #WRD24UoP

Martinique born and French educated psychiatrist, social theorist and political activist Dr Frantz Fanon sought to fuse psychoanalysis and philosophy to better understand the psychological impact of society on individuals, democratic participation and colonialism.

A prominent promoter of Black voices, Adichie has attracted international attention with her 2013 TEDx talk “We Should All Be Feminists,” (named after her book of the same name) which Beyoncé later sampled on her song “Flawless” before going on to champion the vital roles of storytellers, self-expression, and intellectual freedom for a healthy society.

Library breastfeeding pod

We are delighted to be able to offer a breastfeeding pod to all nursing mothers, now available on the second floor of the Library. This new facility supports new parents by providing a safe and comfortable private space for breastfeeding and expressing milk, making it easier to combine work, study and motherhood.

These facilities are designed to provide a comfortable and private space for breastfeeding and expressing milk. The breastfeeding and expressing pods will help ease the transition back to work for new mothers, promote the well-being of both parent and child, and helps promote equality of opportunity across our diverse community.