Thanks to your generous donations, Rachel has been busy with the continued development of the primary school part of our new racial identity programme. She’s been delivering a series of sessions and refining the materials and content in response to feedback from children and teachers.
The children show great maturity when reasoning in these sessions. They discuss the need for having lessons like these that celebrate racial identity and challenge racism as they recognise that racism is a behaviour that is learned. These lessons celebrate diversity and foster alternative, inclusive behaviours.
The lessons provide a safe place for the children to talk openly about their own experiences of racism and explore and identify the difference between ‘banter’ and bullying, and what it looks like to be an ally of someone experiencing racism and prejudice.
The children look at facts about the history of racism; learn more about important BAME figures in society; discuss the issue of stereotyping; and explore what it means to have unconscious bias.
Through interactive activities and artwork, they celebrate different cultural traditions, clothing, food, and names, and share about their own family customs and heritage.
Finally, the children learn about the past lack of diversity in the media and how some people are working to change this, with magazines like Cocoa Girl. They talk about why it’s important to see people like themselves represented onscreen and in magazines, and then create magazine covers as a final celebration of their own unique identity!
Student feedback
"I loved the teacher, she was very cheerful. It was fun and there were lots of activities to do. Amazing, kind, helpful."
"I liked it because it makes you become a better person. I liked learning what’s right and I learnt some new things."
"It helped me realise how different we all are. I learnt about my friend. I liked that it said everyone is perfect as they are!"
