Anti-Racism Resources
Hextable are actively working to create a place where all children - regardless of their race - can come to school ready to enjoy learning, feel safe, and know that we do not tolerate racism. If any racist incidents occur, they will be taken seriously and handled in a fair and supportive way.
How racism affects children
Racism and racial abuse or bullying can be really distressing for children and young people. When a child is bullied or treated differently because of their race, it can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, anger or even shame about their race or how they look.
Racism or racial bullying can be overt or openly hostile, such as being called racist names or being sent threats. Or it can be covert or harder to recognise, involving subtle comments that put a child or young person down and devalue their experience or identity. Both types of racism are equally distressing for children and young people and can have a significant impact on their mental health.
Covert racism can affect young people’s self-esteem and support the idea that’s it’s okay to challenge a person’s experience. This type of racism is subtle and can make it seem like it’s okay to dismiss racial prejudice or discrimination with comments like, ’it’s in your head’, or telling someone they’re ‘playing the race card’. These comments can be very subtle but they are no less abusive, painful and humiliating for children and young people.
Anti-Racism
Learning about race, racism and privilege can lead people to consider what else they can do to combat discrimination. Sometimes, the next step can involve committing yourself to becoming actively anti-racist but it’s not always clear what that means. But when people talk about being anti-racist, it includes:
- listening to people with lived experience of racism and accepting it as truth
- calling out racism and discrimination wherever you see it and using your own privilege to draw attention to it
- continuing to learn about inequality and how it affects others
- regularly assessing your own thoughts about racism and discrimination
- passing on what you learn to those around you, including family, friends and colleagues.
Resources for parents and children.
Here are some links you may find helpful to support you when discussing racism with your child. These resources can support with conversations surrounding racism and how to best deal with these situations with your child.
If you have any question surrounding these resources, please contact smith2@hextable-primary.kent.sch.uk
Newsround have uploaded several programmes which explain events in a suitable way for children.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/av/52978346
BBC Radio 4 - How to talk to your children about race and racism.
Books for children:
An ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing
A is for Activist by Innosanta Nagara
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Big Ideas for Young Thinkers by Jamia Wilson (recommended for parents to read and discuss with children)
Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Racism and Intolerance by Louise Spilsbury
Shades of Black - a Celebration of Our Children by Sandra L. Pinkney
The Little People Big Dreams series (Martin Luther King, Maya Angelou, Jesse Owens, Rosa Parks, Ella Fitzgerald, Muhammad Ali, Josephine Baker, Wilma Rudolph, Harriet Tubman)
Where are you From? By Yamile Saied Mendez
Books for Parents and Carers:
Brit(ish) On Race, Identity & Belonging by Afua Hirsch
Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo - Lodge
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I am Not Your Baby Mother: What it is like to be a Black British Mother by Candice Braithewaite
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrice Khan-Cullors
Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise your Privilege, Combat Racism & Change the World - by Layla F Saad
Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala
The Good Immigrant: 21 Writers Explore What it Means to be Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic in Britain Today edited by Nikesh Shukla
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Superior: The return of Race Science by Angela Saini