Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week, founded by historian Carter G. Woodson to address the erasure of Black Americans’ contributions from textbooks and public memory. It highlights Black leaders, innovators, artists and activists, as well as cultural movements, civil rights struggles and contributions to science, politics, literature and education.
The month affirms heritage, pride and identity within the Black community, celebrating resilience, creativity and achievement beyond narratives focused only on slavery or trauma. It also creates space for education and dialogue about racism, systemic inequality and social justice, helping people connect historical injustices to present-day disparities in areas such as education, wealth, healthcare and representation.
At the 79th British Academy Film Awards on February 22, 2026, a guest John Davidson, a campaigner with Tourette syndrome, involuntarily shouted a racial slur (the N-word) while Black actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting an award.
According to PBS the ceremony was broadcasted on a tape delay by the BBC, the
e offensive language was not edited out before airing on television and streaming platforms, this caused a widespread outrage across communities.
BAFTA and the BBC both issued public apologies, explaining the slur was uttered involuntarily due to Davidson’s condition but acknowledging that airing it was a mistake. (The Guardian)
Many Viewers claimed there was no excuse for this behavior during black history month celebrating black actors who have succeeded. Others supported Davidson and encouraged their peers to not lash out at him on a personal level but understand he is not in control of his condition.
“I’m flabbergasted!!!It doesn’t matter if you have Tourette’s or not, no one should be saying that word who isn’t black there is no excuse. He needs to apologize and work on fixing his vocabulary. This is absolutely ridiculous,” said Cassie Mitchell, senior graphic design major at Marian University.
Viewers were disappointed with BBC for failing to edit out the offensive language on its broadcast, even though tape delays are typically used to prevent such content from reaching audiences. (Reuters)
“To be honest I was really angry when I saw it happen and I really couldn’t believe it at first. because like this happens during my black history month???? I was even more surprised that they didn’t censor it because apparently the show is broadcasted after a two hour delay to edit anything out. I felt it was kinda stupid that the producers just so happened to not censor that word but censored out other things and cut speeches short for the sake of time,” said Zion Dawson-El, junior psychology major at Marian University.
A handful of industry figures, including BAFTA judge Jonte Richardson, resigned in protest and argued that BAFTA did not do enough to protect and respect Black attendees and viewers. The institution’s response glossed over the harm caused by the incident.(The Guardian)
Host Alan Cumming publicly apologized and called the situation “trauma-triggering,” urging greater care in how events are managed and broadcast. (The Guardian)
The actor Robert Aramayo from I Swear who publicly defended John Davidson after the BAFTA incident. Aramayo won Best Actor at the 2026 BAFTAs for his role and spoke about the nature of Tourette’s, explaining that Davidson’s vocal outbursts are involuntary tics and urging a deeper understanding of the condition rather than misunderstanding or judgment.
Cast members from the nominated film Sinners voiced concern that the incident highlighted deeper problems with how institutions handle inclusion and safety. (People.com)
According to Jayme Lawson co-star in Sinners, the situation was handled poorly, Lawson praised Jordan and Lindo for showing “grace” during and after the incident. Lawson criticized BAFTA and the BBC for not providing a respectful and safe environment and for failing to edit out the offensive language while censoring other content about Palestine
“Institutionally, we still don’t understand what inclusion means,” said Jayme Lawson, co-star of Sinners cast. “Just because you invite someone into a space, but you don’t provide the necessary resources to keep them and everyone else in that room safe by them being there, that’s not inclusivity. That’s exploitation.”
According to Lawson, BAFTA and the BBC censored Akinola [Davies Jr.]’s speech, about Palestine. “The director of My Father’s Shadow, which is an amazing film, by the way. So, you censored one Black man. You failed to protect two others,” said Lawson.
“I don’t hold any hard feelings toward the individual, who had the outburst because of his condition, but the moment tainted what should have been a celebratory evening,” said Wunmi Mosaku, co-star of Sinners cast. (The Guardian)
Delroy Lindo addressed the incident while speaking at the 57th NAACP Image Awards after the incident, Lindo expressed sincere gratitude for the support and encouragement he and Jordan received in the aftermath.
“It is an honor to be here amongst our people this evening. Among so many people who have shown us such incredible support. And it’s a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive,” said Lindo. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Michael B Jordan has not given a solo public statement in major reports, however, Lindo’s comments on behalf of the two of them thanked people for standing with them and coverage notes that actors “did what they had to do” onstage despite the moment. (Vanity Fair)
Several actors like Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce publicly condemned the incident and said the racial slur was “unacceptable” and that the actors deserved a full and immediate apology. (People.com)
The incident sparked wider debate about how institutions should respond when offensive language — even involuntary — is caught on air. It also raised questions about the responsibility of broadcasters during awards ceremonies and how to balance awareness of disability with the real impact of racially harmful language. (wral.com)
