In October there is a focus on Black History. All of this month The National Archives have a series of blogs, podcasts and advice on how to access records to mark Black History Month.

In an episode of On the Record, a podcast by The National Archives, they delve into Colonial Office Records.  

What was the Colonial Office? And what can these documents tell us about the experiences of people living under British rule? 

Click on this link to access the podcast: Colonial Office Records

Find out about Marcus Garvey

The Colonial Office was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created to deal with the colonial affairs of British North America but required also to oversee the increasing number of colonies of the British Empire. Despite its name, the Colonial Office was never responsible for all Britain’s Imperial territories; for example, protectorates fell under the purview of the Foreign Office, and British India was ruled by the East India Company until 1858 (the British Raj ruled the India Office as a result of the Indian Mutiny), while the role of the Colonial Office in the affairs of the Dominions changed as time passed.

It was headed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, also known more informally as the Colonial Secretary.

Wikipedia

Records of the Colonial Office, Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices, Empire Marketing Board, and related bodies at The National Archives