DOST: SELF-EDUCATION
As the world continues to grapple with issues around racism, it’s important to realise that the conversation needs to start somewhere and anywhere possible. Smile Health’s BAME Wellbeing Assistant Loz Woodhouse has put together a list of cultural and literary references that you can use to get those conversations going at home, work, or anywhere that needs it.
Like to contribute to this list? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Email us.
Television
Leigh-Ann: Race Power & Pop / BBC iPlayer
This powerful documentary follows pop star Leigh-Anne Pinnock as she confronts her experience as the only black member of Little Mix, and as a black woman in the music industry.
When They See Us – Netflix
Based on the Central Park jogger case of 1989 in which a white woman was assaulted and raped, When They See Us is a dramatization telling the events surrounding the prosecution and wrongful conviction of five black and Latino teenage boys. Now known as The Exonerated Five
Black is The New Black – BBC 2
Exceptional figures from politics, business, sport, science and more share their insights into being black and British today, how they got where they are.
The School That Tried To End Racism – Channel 4
BAFTA- winning documentary series that follows a British school as it helps its students uncover and eradicate hidden racial biases, exploring how this can affect us all and what we can all do to tackle it.
Am I British? – BBCiplayer
Thousands of young people born or brought up in the UK are having their dreams destroyed or lives disrupted because of their immigration status. Reporter Greg McKenzie meets those who say they’re treated as second-class citizens.
Books
Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain by Sathnam Sanghera
Journalist Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of what we consider to be modern Britain is actually rooted in our imperial past.
How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
One of America’s preeminent writers on civil rights, Professor Ibram X. Kendi’s 2019 book outlines his philosophy of being antiracist and explains why we need to rethink the vocabulary we use to discuss race.
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
Layla F Saad’s Me and White Supremacy requires a little more from you than just reading. Saad argues that it’s the job of all those who benefit from white supremacy to dismantle it, and we need to start with ourselves.
Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
“It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you’re doing something.” Reni Eddo-Lodge makes a vital and compelling argument in her best-selling debut, pointing out both the depth and danger of structural racism in Britain and the urgent need to address it.
Learning Opportunities:
It’s About Race – Challenging Race and Racial Bias in Practice
Talking to children and young adults about Race – British Red Cross