This page hosts a range of resources, for both parents and young people, to help start conversations and aid education in racism and anti-racism.

You can use these tools to help open a dialogue with young people as well as for tasks and study ideas to learn more about colonial history and why the Black Lives Matter movement has recently become prominent in the news. Please use these resources as a guide and make sure you check that they are suitable for the young person you’re working with

For parents

Having open conversations with your child is extremely important. The current news coverage can be upsetting and worrying for young people, especially if they do not understand it fully, and for young black children it can highlight troubling experiences they may have had or witnessed.

Books, online resources and approaches to talking to young people about race

How kids learn about race – online discussion. You can also find the slides from the talk A list of books for young kids and teens to learn about race. A list of podcasts, books and articles for parents talking to kids about race. A list of books and resources for young people. A blog that looks at starting conversations about racism broken down into different age groups. A document looking at understanding racist bullying, including dealing with hurtful language.

Educational activity packs and tools for educating young people about race

Below is a list of resources and activities that can be used by educators, or parents who are educating at home, with sources, questions, games and prompts to promote learning and investigation on race, prejudice, black artists and significant people, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Windrush generation. They are provided by a variety of organisations, some based in the UK and some based elsewhere, and you should have a look at these before sharing to see if they are suitable for your child. An activity pack for young people to investigate prejudice, stereotypes and racism. Lesson packs looking at Black culture in art history and music, and Black issues in law, politics and migration. Downloadable lessons on people of colour throughout history. An activity pack investigating media stories about racism and critiquing what is in the media. Resources for older teens, on the slavery abolition movement in America. A downloadable colouring book, with activities, based on the Black Lives Matter movement’s themes. Activity pack from Geraldine Conor Foundation about the Windrush generation and scandal.

For young people

Recently there has been a lot of images, videos and reports of violence against black people, and as a result protests across the world, particularly related to the Black Lives Matter movement. These reports can be concerning, and even scary, and you might not fully understand everything you’re seeing or you may want to know more. If you have questions about what you see on the news, on the internet or the place where you live it’s important to tell your parents or an adult you trust. If you are upset or worried by what is happening, or if you have experienced racism, then telling someone you trust is a good first step. There’s a lot of information available and it can be difficult to digest it all. Below are some links to BBC Newsround, which help explain some of the different elements in an easy to understand way. There’s also a lot of information out there for parents, carers and teachers. It’s ok to talk to any of these people about what’s happening and perhaps you can find some activities and resources to look at together. Advice on what to do if you’ve experienced racism or been upset by it. Young people talk about their experiences of racism. Explaining ‘white privilege’. A video looking at the inequalities faced by Black people in the UK. A video in which a young girl describes her experiences of racism, with dramatization, and poetry from Benjamin Zephaniah. An information page with videos and links looking at what racism is. A BBC Newsround special looking at the protests following the death of George Floyd, in America, The inequalities Black people face across the world, and what has happened as a result.