Black Cultural Archives

Every October, Black History Month provides an opportunity to celebrate Black Britons, explore their histories and share their stories.

This Black History Month, we're celebrating National Lottery-funded projects that are helping to champion Black communities across Britain.

Black Cultural Archives (BCA) is a national archive dedicated to Black history and culture in the UK.

Since 1981, it has been on a mission to collect and preserve materials that address the historic underrepresentation of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain.  

Its archive is now one of the most comprehensive collections documenting the history and cultural heritage of Black Britain.

Since 2014, BCA has been based in Windrush Square in Brixton, the archive moved into the former Raleigh Hall building following a £7 million refurbishment, supported by £4.5 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The move created a permanent home for BCA, providing a central space for exhibitions, educational programmes and community events, while helping to preserve the history of Black people in Britain.  

BCA's online collection features more than 6,000 records across 69 collections including personal papers, organisational records, photographs and periodicals.

In 2025, BCA received £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its Sankofa Resilience project, helping to strength its archive and make it more accessible to a wider audience.  

You can explore BCA’s online catalogue on their website. 

Thanks to support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the work of archivists and volunteers, BCA's archive collection continues to grow.  

BCA welcomes everyone who wishes to use its resources and share their stories. You can find out more on their website.

Because of National Lottery players, Black Cultural Archives can continue its vital work.