Black Inclusion Week
11th to 17th May 2026
BIW 2026 EVENTS
11–17 May 2026 | Driving Impact With Purpose, Delivering Real Outcomes
This year, we’re not just talking about change — we’re building it, measuring it, and holding each other accountable to it. Across a week of powerful in-person and virtual events, Black Inclusion Week 2026 brings together communities, organisations, educators, leaders, and allies to drive real outcomes that last beyond the week.
Find your events. Register your place. Show up.
Launch Event
And STILL We Rise: Navigating Today’s Social Climate, Protecting Our Power With Clarity & Community
In-Person | The House of Commons | Monday 11th May | 09:30–15:00
Black Inclusion Week 2026 opens with the conversation Black people need and deserve — a space to breathe out, be heard, and draw collective strength. In a time when many are carrying visible and invisible burdens, this event creates room for truth, rest, joy, and renewal. Through spoken word, honest panel conversation, live polling, and an emotionally rich keynote by Professor Patrick Vernon OBE, raw emotion becomes clarity and purposeful action. You will leave feeling seen, supported, and equipped — not just to get through this moment, but to stand in your power and shape what comes next.
Building Diverse Talent Pipelines: From Classroom to Career in Tech
In-Person | Autotrader, Manchester | Tuesday 12th May | 10:30–13:00
Black students have the aptitude for STEM careers — but a 75% exposure gap means too many never discover what’s possible. Hosted by Autotrader, this event connects Black young people with opportunities, role models, and realities in advanced manufacturing and automotive technology. Autotrader has already achieved 43% ethnically diverse representation in their Early Careers intake — and now wants to help build the wider pipeline. If you’re an educator, careers advisor, young professional, or Tech enthusiast, this session was built with you in mind.
From Performance to Partnership: Allyship That Delivers Real Outcomes
Virtual | Tuesday 12th May | 10:30–12:00
The question is no longer “are you an ally?” It’s “what has your allyship actually changed?” This honest, unflinching session examines allyship — where it has genuinely helped, where it has caused harm, and what it takes to move from good intentions to measurable impact. If you’ve posted a black square, attended a webinar, or called yourself an ally — this event will ask what happened next. You’ll leave with the Allyship Scorecard, three non-negotiable leadership behaviours, and a sharper understanding of what real, accountable partnership looks like every week.
Beyond the Binary: The Mixed-Heritage Experience — Identity, Culture & Connection
Virtual | Tuesday 12th May | 12:00–13:15
If you’ve ever been told you’re “not Black enough” or “not white enough” — this event is for you. Through an intimate conversation format and a powerful panel, this session explores what it truly means to hold multiple identities: colourism, heritage pride, the “not enough” narrative, and how Mixed-heritage perspectives build more nuanced, equitable systems. Identity is not a tick box — and this conversation will prove it. You’ll leave with deeper understanding, practical insights for more inclusive spaces, and a sense of community that says: you belong here, exactly as you are.
The Invisible Load: Seeing, Protecting, Empowering & Elevating Black Women
Virtual | Tuesday 12th May | 16:00–17:15
Black women hold up the world. This event holds space for them. From the boardroom to the hospital ward, from the school gates to the frontline of activism — the realities facing Black women are urgent, intersectional, and too often invisible. Not today. This session centres Black women’s voices with the honesty, love, and fierceness the conversation demands. You’ll leave with real insight into the systemic barriers facing Black women, practical actions for workplaces and communities, and — if you’re a Black woman — the rare and powerful experience of being fully seen.
Access to Finance Seminar
In-Person | University of Lincoln Think Tank | Wednesday 13th May | 09:00–11:00
In partnership with the British Business Bank, this seminar tackles one of the most persistent barriers facing Black entrepreneurs: access to capital. Whether you’re a founder at the start of your journey or a business owner ready to scale, this is the practical, no-jargon financial guidance session you’ve been waiting for. Black-owned businesses deserve more than good intentions — they deserve tools, knowledge, and networks to grow. Come with your questions and leave with clarity on the funding landscape, what’s available, and how to access it with confidence.
What Does Impact Look Like? Measuring Real Outcomes in Black Inclusion
In-Person | Platform, Leeds | Wednesday 13th May | 10:30–14:00
Hosted by Bruntwood I Bruntwood SciTech at Platform in Leeds
Good intentions don’t change spreadsheets. Data does. This masterclass is for HR Directors, DEI Leads, CEOs, and team leaders ready to move from diversity statements to diversity balance sheets. You’ll audit the real impact of inclusion initiatives using the same rigour applied to financial results, leave with a proprietary Impact Dashboard framework, and gain tools to set targets that mean something — and hit them. This session will be uncomfortable for those hiding behind vague promises. It is absolutely essential for those ready to lead with accountability and evidence.
Money Talks: Financing Black Futures Through Investment, Philanthropy & Procurement
Virtual | Wednesday 13th May | 12:00–13:15
If inclusion doesn’t show up in the budget, it doesn’t exist. This event follows the money — challenging organisations, investors, philanthropists, and procurement leaders to move beyond statements and into spend. The most powerful indicator of whether an organisation is serious about Black inclusion isn’t its website — it’s its balance sheet. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the financial landscape, practical tools for reviewing your procurement and investment practices, and a direct challenge to put your money where your values genuinely are.
Purpose, Pressure & Possibility: Shifting Narratives for Black Men
Virtual | Wednesday 13th May | 16:00–17:15
Black men in the UK are some of the most stereotyped, surveilled, and misrepresented people in public life — and this event gives them the space to speak for themselves. Honestly. Without performance. Without apology. From mental health to the school-to-exclusion pipeline, from redefining masculinity to rebuilding brotherhood — this conversation will reshape how workplaces, communities, and institutions engage with Black men. You’ll leave with a richer understanding of the pressures and possibilities they face, and practical tools for creating environments where Black men can truly thrive.
B-Uzuri Presents: Mindful Movement Workout Session
Virtual | Wednesday 13th May | 19:00–20:00
Join us for an energising and empowering session led by Naturopath and Pilates Practitioner Sharon Gardner 💫
Get ready to move with intention and feel the burn as you’re guided through a dynamic, Pilates-inspired workout designed to awaken, strengthen, and tone your entire body. This session combines mindful movement, controlled strength, and core-focused techniques to help you feel balanced, refreshed, and reconnected.
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to push yourself further, this is your opportunity to invest in your wellness and elevate your fitness journey.
Expect to build:
✨ Strength
✨ Flexibility
✨ Balance
✨ Total-body conditioning
Come as you are — leave feeling stronger, lighter, and empowered 💚
Class prices are £10. 50% off with discount code BIW2026
NB: this takes you to the site where you search the date and then book the class from there.
From Classroom to Boardroom: Building Pathways for Black Excellence
Virtual | Thursday 14th May | 14:00–15:15
The pipeline isn’t broken. It was never built for us. Drawing on two landmark research studies — Race Equity in Education and From Intention to Impact: Safeguarding Black Girls in Education — this session traces the journey from education to employment. From the exclusions crisis to teacher bias, curriculum representation to community-led advisory structures, this is the intergenerational conversation that could change outcomes for Black young people across the UK. You’ll leave with real data, real stories, and a real action plan for building pathways designed around Black excellence.
One Purpose. Real Power. The Next Generation of Black Leadership — Heard, Not Just Seen
In-Person | Browne Jacobson, Birmingham | Thursday 14th May | 17:00–19:30
Black talent is everywhere. This event asks not “what does the pipeline need?” but “what do emerging Black leaders actually need to progress — and what must organisations now commit to?” Through a candid panel of rising professionals, this evening moves beyond barriers into bold, forward-looking action. Built intentionally for mentors, sponsors, senior allies, and emerging talent alike — so that conversation becomes real relationships and real next steps. You’ll leave not with inspiration alone, but with connections and the clarity to act. Talent is not the issue. Opportunity — and who controls it — is.
B-Uzuri Presents: Divine Movement Experience
Virtual | Thursday 14th May | 19:00–20:00
Step into a powerful and sacred practice where movement meets spirituality. Move in unison with the energy of gods and goddesses, and reconnect with your divine self.
This Egyptian yoga-inspired session is designed to help you align your lower self with your higher self through intentional movement, breath, and awareness. As you flow through each posture, you will embody the qualities of strength, grace and reflection.
This transformative practice is known to ignite inner clarity, deepen connection, and leave you feeling grounded, empowered, and truly divine.
Join Rose for a unique experience and a window into a world where spirituality and movement come together in harmony 💫
Class prices are £10. 50% off with discount code BIW2026
NB: this takes you to the site where you search the date and then book the class from there.
From Networks to Powerhouses: Transforming Black & Ethnic Staff Networks Into Change Engines
Online Webinar | Available on demand on 13th May – the National Day for Staff Networks
Your staff network could be the most powerful force for change in your organisation. So why is it running on goodwill and a £500 budget? Black and ethnic minority staff networks are chronically under-resourced, overburdened, and cut off from the decision-making tables that matter. This recorded webinar is a practical blueprint for transformation — covering how to secure real resource, connect to executive power, and protect the Black staff who hold it all together. You’ll leave with a transformation toolkit and the language and evidence to demand what your network truly deserves.
Speakers: Justin Placide, Akua Opong, Bridget Tatham | Moderated by Aggie Yemurai Mutuma & Rob Neil
Closing Event: And STILL We Rise — Unstoppable Community. Unbreakable Pride. Building What Comes Next — Together
In-Person | HSBC, Canary Wharf | Friday 16th May | 11:00–16:00
This is not a closing. This is ignition. After a week of truth-telling, challenging systems, and holding space — we come together to celebrate who we are, honour what we’ve built, and carry the fire forward. Expect spoken word that gives you chills, panels that make you proud, a keynote by Professor John Amaechi OBE that charges your soul, live dance, and a room full of people who remind you why community is everything. You’ll leave with your head high, your heart full, and three commitments in your hand. Black joy is not a contradiction — it is our superpower.
Women in Tech
Virtual | Friday 16th May | 12-13.00 / 13.00-14.00 TBC
Black women are shaping the future of technology — and this event puts that truth front and centre. An evening of honest conversation, powerful stories, and practical insight for Black women in tech and the organisations that want to see them lead. From navigating bias to building influence, from finding community to knowing your worth — these conversations happen here without filter or apology. Whether you’re already in the industry or considering your path into it, come ready to connect, be challenged, and leave with both the energy and the strategy to go further.
Every event this week is a step towards something permanent. Register for the sessions that speak to you, bring a colleague, and come ready to act. Because the world Black communities deserve isn’t built in a single week — but it can absolutely be ignited in one.