Open partner with the Anthony Walker Foundation to celebrate Black History Month 2022.

We want to extend a huge thanks to all of the commercial partners who make campaigns like these possible: MSB Solicitors, Everton FC, Liverpool FC, M&S Bank and the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres.

At OPEN, it’s vital to us that we use our platform for good. We pride ourselves on using our powerful national reach to deliver important messages and shine a light on causes we feel passionate about. We hold a strong belief that out of home advertising is the ideal method when wishing to communicate a powerful message. The scale, speed and reach of this format has proven time and time again to be the most effective, particularly when coupled with social media.

In order to celebrate BHM this year, we have chosen to shine a light on the achievements of some of the country’s most influential and inspirational black leaders across various industries, with the hope seeing these achievements in large-format digital across the country can inspire the next generation. As well as shining the spotlight on those currently achieving great things, a new focus of this campaign has been to revisit the past struggles faced by local historical figures, who paved the way for many by being the original pioneers of change.

The Anthony Walker Foundation was established after the racially motivated murder of Anthony Walker in Liverpool, 2005. Since then, the organisation has worked to promote racial justice, diversity and inclusion and runs a support service for those who have experienced hate crimes across the region.

The contemporaries spearheading the campaign this year are Liverpool FC’s Trent-Alexander Arnold and Everton FC’s Alex Iwobi, as well as the founder of the Anthony Walker Foundation, Dr. Gee Walker. We’re so proud to have representation from both Merseyside Premier League clubs, who are coming together in order to mark this important month and tackle racism side by side. We asked those involved to contribute quotes that demonstrate what Black History month means to each and every one of them personally, addressing and acknowledging the need to challenge prejudice and choosing to do this by leading by example.

For the historical figures, we have chosen to feature those who effected massive change in the U.K specifically, including people such as Mary Seacole, Ignatius Sancho & Sarah Redmond. We’re so proud to have both representation from the past and the present side by side in this campaign, to drive home the message that it is important to recognise the people who have inspired change previously, as well as those continuing that work today.

This campaign will run on OPEN & The Anthony Walker Foundation’s social platforms and our digital large-format portfolio throughout the month of October.

For those in proximity to our sites, we encourage you to keep an eye out for the campaign at each of these locations but if not, the images will be shared throughout the month on our social platforms here.

You can also view our complete collection of submissions in the gallery above and we encourage you to view these, learn from them and share!

blackhistorymonth.org

anthonywalkerfoundation.org