Black History Month

October marks Black History Month in the UK with clubs celebrating the incredible contribution of players of African and Caribbean descent, and highlighting the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.

On Saturday 15th October, Hearts Academy Director, Frankie McAvoy, will run a training session for Passion4Fusion, a local charity that provides support for diverse ethnic minority communities, particularly young people and women in Edinburgh and the Lothians. 

Following the session, Hearts First Team star Beni Baningime will meet with young people and their families to share the story of his own journey to becoming a professional footballer. That evening, the Gorgie Suite will host an African celebration evening that will showcase young talent. Head Chef, James Corner and his team, under the guidance of Passion4Fusion, will put on a feast of African dishes.

The second event takes place on October 31st as the Club hosts a ground-breaking conference on behalf of Club partner, the DataKirk. The DataKirk has worked with Hearts since 2019, to deliver vital data skills development for young people and adults in the Heart of Midlothian Innovation Centre.

The Conference will gather Black Talent, talent acquisition and HR professionals, diversity and inclusion experts, industry players, central and local government representatives as well as academic communities to discuss the extent to which Black Talent are underrepresented in key parts of the Scottish economy. The conference will highlight new and innovative pathways to employment and solutions to improve diversity, equity & inclusion in the workplace. As part of this, the Conference will celebrate the achievement of DataKirk graduates who, with the assistance of the Club, have gone on to gain employment in Scotland’s burgeoning digital economy.