Today, 1 October, marks the start of Black History Month in Ireland, an annual celebration that highlights the importance and achievements of the black community, and a new series is helping to bring those stories to light.
Black History Lessons is a new six-part series from RTÉ exploring black history through the stories of influential figures, key historical moments and fascinating stories from the black community.
Hosted by Leon Diop, Femi Bankole, Amanda Ade and Boni Odoemene, the minds behind the Black and Irish community, it's an insightful deep dive into black history, and will cover everything from the history of certain hairstyles to Frederic Douglass and his time in Ireland.
As the founders of the Black and Irish Instagram page and hosts of RTÉ Black and Irish podcast, the group have devoted themselves to illuminating the experience of being black or a person of colour.
In the first episode of the new series from RTÉ's The Lab, Leon Diop from Black and Irish tells us about the importance of Black History Month, its origins, and what you can do to celebrate.
Watch the first episode of Black History Lessons above. Be sure to keep an eye out for more Black History Lessons throughout the month!
