huffpo uk is putting a spotlight on black briton

Blackness is bountiful: an expanding force with no visible confine and no discernable end. It is infinite, and its lack of finality means that there is always something to learn, unearth and contribute. The way forward for a Black identity free from the confines of white supremacy includes getting to know the vast reaches of Blackness relating to art, food, fashion, hair and the numerous modes of Black expression. It’s this subsequent embrace and exploration that has prompted Huffington Post UK to launch a Black History month art competition in order to take advantage of the strong shift towards documenting our culture as it slowly frees itself from systemic oppression.

What is Black culture in the UK? How does it look to you or the next Black person? The growing landscape of social media has ushered in a time of documenting our lives at a historically unmatched rate. You can dwell on the negatives or you can see it as an opportunity for Black people to take back control of our narrative. Taking back control looks like the palpable and intoxicating energy of the Nottinghill Carnival. It sounds like the historical Lovers Rock and modern Grime music. It reads like Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by British journalist and author Reni Eddo-Lodge.

Seriously though, go read it.

Black culture in Britain is expansive with blended cultures that make being black a more textured experience. HuffPo UK wants to use this moment to show the world more of Black Britain, giving them a platform to show the world a culture that doesn’t make it into the forefront on Black socio-economic and political discourse as much as Africa and the USA.

To all the Black Brits, as you know, there is no one version of being Black and with October being your Black History month, 31 days is not nearly long enough to celebrate Black Britishness in its entirety. You now have an opportunity to show the world what Black culture looks and feels like to you. The  HuffPo UK Black History Month competition is “open to all UK creatives to celebrate African and Caribbean culture. We’re calling for art, photography, or any visual piece on the theme of Black culture in the UK today.” Submissions can be anything from paintings and sculptures to camera phone shots (because some of yall are delivering pure magic on the gram). “We’ll be printing and unveiling our top ten favorite pieces in an exhibition in collaboration with IPG Mediabrands, which will run throughout Black History Month in October. We’ll also feature them, and profile the artists, on our site.”

To enter, please send a high-resolution copy of your submission to micha.frazer-carroll@huffpost.com, and include in the body of your email a bit about you and what inspired the image you’ve chosen to enter. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 26th September.

Go forth and create Black Britain. We cannot wait to get to know you better.