Black History Month 2026: Amplifying Black voices at Birkbeck

Throughout Black History Month, Birkbeck has reflected on the history, achievements and contributions of Black people from its community, while recognising the importance of tackling inequalities.

Birkbeck’s Amplify programme is one of the University’s key initiatives to help Black and Black mixed heritage students access the opportunities, connections and support they need to thrive academically and to develop professionally.

Launched in November 2025, the programme was developed to address persistent inequalities in student success and graduate employment and reflects an important principle at the heart of Black History Month. Celebrating potential and achievement must go hand in hand with addressing the structural barriers that can prevent people from reaching their full potential.

Baldeep Hothi, Career Programme Manager at Birkbeck, describes the purpose of the initiative, “Amplify is about closing the gap between education and opportunity, recognising the talent and ambition of Black students while addressing the barriers that can limit their access to professional networks and career-building experiences.

“By embedding employer collaboration throughout the programme and maintaining high levels of personalised support, the 2025/26 programme has continued to create meaningful opportunities that enhance student success, improve career readiness, and contribute to positive graduate outcomes.”

A key feature of the programme is access to one of 15 funded micro-placements. These provide students with valuable exposure to professional working environments while helping to remove some of the financial and practical barriers often associated with gaining work experience.

Christina Belloge, Founder of tour operator Melanin Travels Magic, one of the micro-placements which provides a Digital Marketing role, said: “I’ve found the programme to be mutually beneficial, with our current student helping the business to reach the West African diaspora community and creating engaging content around food and fashion for our Autumn content. I think it’s important to recognise the lasting impact of working with students. We provide the opportunities but our placement students help us to connect with younger audiences and gain external viewpoints on marketing and business strategies.”

Birkbeck student, Abigail Namwanje Kintu, who completed a Game Development placement with Legal Pythia, said: “Amplify changed my entire outlook on being a student at Birkbeck. I felt a sense of community and gained so much confidence in myself by attending the sessions and engaging with the resources.”

The Amplify programme is supported by funding from the Clayton, Dubilier and Rice (CD&R) Foundation, whose partnership with Birkbeck helps expand opportunities for students to develop their employability and gain real-world experience. Through Amplify and its wider student support initiatives, Birkbeck is working towards a university experience in which Black students can build confidence, develop their potential and progress towards successful futures.