LONDON, ONT. -- The Black Lives Matter movement is a political and social protest that gained international and local attention, and raised awareness of Black History Month.

Silence Genti is a member of the Black History Month coordinating committee in London and he says the impact has been felt.

“Because of Black Lives Matter we're getting a lot more interest in all of the events that we are doing this year,” says Genti. “People are more aware of the issues that people of colour face in the city.”

Starting this weekend a number of events are planned to commemorate the month.

“We have Black history from the region, and almost all of the events are online.” says Genti.

One of the highlights of the month is the African Food Festival coming up on Feb. 19when people will be able to order dishes for takeout or delivery.

For more information on how to get involved and all the events, you can visit the London Public Library's website.

Genti adds, “I think already we've seen higher numbers in terms of people who are inquiring about the events.”