Black
lives
matter
A KS5 RESOURCE PACK
A LIST OF BOOKS, FILMS, TV SHOWS,
ARTICLES, VIDEOS, PODCASTS AND POETRY TO HELP YOU GET EDUCATED ON THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AND OTHER ISSUES
RIGHT NOW, OUR WHOLE WORLD HAS COME TOGETHER TO MOURN THE TRAGIC DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND SO MANY OTHER BLACK CITIZENS WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED UNFAIRLY DUE TO POLICE BRUTALITY. THE TRUTH IS, RACISM IS STILL ALIVE, NOT JUST IN AMERICA BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD. ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER WITH #BLACKLIVESMATTER AND VIDEOS, PICTURES AND OTHER CONTENT WHICH SHOW HOW THIS DEVASTATING ISSUE IS STILL CAUSING UNBELIEVABLE PAIN AND GRIEF TO PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS SO WIDESPREAD AND UNREGULATED THERE IS LOTS OF DISINFORMATION (FAKE NEWS) BEING SPREAD. IT IS HARD TO PROPERLY LEARN ABOUT SUCH A COMPLICATED ISSUE THROUGH TWEETS THAT ARE ONLY 280 CHARACTERS LONG, OR ONE INSTAGRAM POST.
IT IS DOWN TO EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO BE PROPERLY EDUCATED ON THE HISTORY OF RACISM, AND WHAT RACISM IS LIKE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE’LL EVER BE ABLE TO MAKE A CHANGE – THROUGH THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE.
FICTION BOOKS
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – HARPER LEE
‘Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird.’
A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will
only tolerate so much.
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS – MAYA ANGELOU
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiography describing the early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. The book begins when three-year-old Maya and her older brother are sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother and ends when Maya becomes a
mother at the age of 16.
THE HELP – KATHRYN STOCKETT
The Help recounts the story of a young white journalist Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan and her relationship with two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi. In an attempt to become a legitimate journalist and writer, Skeeter decides to write a book from the point of view of the maids, exposing
the racism they are faced with as they work for white families. Black domestic workers in 1960s America were referred to as “the help”, hence the title of the journalistic expose, the novel
and the film.
THE COLOR PURPLE – ALICE WALKER
The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.
Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of African- American women in the Southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture.
NON – FICTION BOOKS
WHY I’M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT RACE – RENI-EDDO LODGE
In 2014, award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote about her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren’t affected by it. She posted a piece on her blog, entitled: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’.Her words hit a nerve. The post went viral and comments flooded in from others desperate to speak up about their own experiences. Galvanised by this clear hunger for open discussion, she decided to dig into the source of these feelings.Exploring issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge offers a timely and essential new framework for how to see, acknowledge and counter racism. It is a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary exploration of what it is to be a person of colour in
Britain today.
THE GOOD IMMIGRANT: 26 WRITERS REFLECT ON AMERICA – NIKESH SHUKLA
How does it feel to be constantly regarded as a potential threat, strip-searched at every airport? Or to be told that, as an actress, the part you’re most fitted to play is ‘wife of a
terrorist’? How does it feel to have words from your native language misused, misappropriated and used aggressively towards you? How does it feel to hear a child of colour say in a classroom that stories can only be about white people? How does it feel to go ‘home’ to India when your home is really London? What is it like to feel you always have to be an ambassador for your race? How does it feel to always tick ‘Other’?Bringing together 21 exciting black, Asian and minority ethnic voices emerging in Britain today, The Good Immigrant explores why immigrants come to the UK, why they stay and what it means to be
‘other’ in a country that doesn’t seem to want you, doesn’t truly accept you—however many generations you’ve been here—but still
needs you for its diversity monitoring forms.
NATIVES – AKALA
From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers – race and class have shaped Akala’s life and outlook. In this unique book he takes his own experiences and widens them out to look at the social, historical and political factors that have left us where we are today.Covering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Natives will speak directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain’s racialised
empire.
DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR – EMMA DABIRI
From women’s solidarity and friendship to forgotten African scholars and the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian’s braids, the scope of black hairstyling ranges from pop culture to cosmology, from prehistoric times to the (afro)futuristic. Uncovering sophisticated indigenous mathematical systems in black hairstyles, alongside styles that served as secret intelligence networks leading enslaved Africans to freedom, Don’t Touch My Hair proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for
black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X – MALCOLM X
Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most
influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his journey from a prison cell to Mecca, describing his transition
from hoodlum to Muslim minister. Here, the man who called himself “the
angriest Black man in America” relates how his conversion to true Islam helped him confront his rage and recognize the
brotherhood of all mankind.
HEART OF THE RACE – BEVERLEY BRYAN, STELLA DADZIE AND SUZANNE SCAFE
A collection of academic essays examining how black women in 1980s Britain suffered at the intersection of racism and sexism. Each chapter explores a different domain of society: education, healthcare, the
workplace, political movements, post- colonialism and more.
ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY- LAYLA F SAAD
Me and White Supremacy leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white
people do better, too.
BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME – TA-NEHISI COATES
This book is written as a letter to the author’s teenage son about the feelings, symbolism, and realities associated with being Black in the United States. Coates
recapitulates American history and explains to his son the “racist violence that has been woven into American culture.” Coates draws from an abridged, autobiographical account of his youth in Baltimore, detailing the ways in which institutions like the school, the
police, and even “the streets” discipline, endanger, and threaten to disembody black men
and women.
BRIT(ISH): ON RACE, IDENTITY AND BELONGING – AFUA HIRSCH
The Sunday Times bestseller that reveals the
uncomfortable truth about race and identity
in Britain today.
You’re British. Your parents are British. Your partner, your children and most of your
friends are British. So why do people keep asking where you’re from? We are a nation in denial about our imperial past and the racism that plagues our present. Brit(ish) is Afua Hirsch’s personal and provocative exploration of how this came to be – and an urgent call
for change.
THERE AIN’T NO BLACK IN THE UNION JACK – PAUL GILROY
Gilroy demonstrates the enormous complexity of racial politics in England today.
Exploring the relationships among race, class, and nation as they have evolved over the past twenty years, he highlights racist
attitudes that transcend the left-right
political divide. He challenges current sociological approaches to racism as well as the ethnocentric bias of British cultural
studies.
articles and websites
Clicking the links on the slides will take you to the web-page, or you can copy and paste the links
into your web browser.
The Minneapolis Rebellion So Far, According to the People Living It
This article details the action currently happening in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/george-floyd-minneapolis-rebellion-so-far- according-to-people-living-it
#BlackLivesMatter: the birth of a new civil rights movement
This article discusses the recent history of the #blacklivesmatter hashtag following the shooting of many innocent black African-Americans by police.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/19/blacklivesmatter-birth-civil- rights-movement
What do i want from white people? an illustration on being black in america by tianna taylor
“The systems in place uphold white supremacy and simply put, the
systems in place need to be knocked down. And who would have thought,
that in the middle of a global
pandemic and imminent economic
crisis that we would light America
on fire.
What is it like to be Black in
America?
Have someone put their knee on your neck and repeat.
This is an excerpt from a beautifully written blog post about the narrator’s experience as a black girl, the pain she feels at the death of innocent black civilians, and how she wants
white people to use their privilege.
Read the whole post at:
https://whatsupwithtianna.com/2020/05/30/what- do-i-want-from-white-people-an-illustration-on- being-black-in-america/?fbclid=IwAR0Cl- 39E0gAV9hjqqd_UA6qCyMaScUO870WVzu57NXYnv27BlY-
Uq7SaVk
Enough.”
11 Things You Can Do To Help Black Lives Matter End Police Violence – Teen Vogue
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/support-the-black-lives-matter-movement
Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, Explained – Teen Vogue
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 was one of the worst episodes of racist violence in American history, which erupted in the heart of one of the
most prosperous Black communities in the nation.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-wall-street-and-the-tulsa-race- massacre#intcid=recommendations_teen-vogue-verso-hp-trending_1a81a127-7554-49c2- be3c-bf52fc70dbc1_popular4-1
Beyond the hashtag: How to take anti-racist action – Teen Vogue
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/beyond-the-hashtag-how-to-take-anti-racist- action
Martin Luther King Jr. Was More Radical
Than We Remember – Teen Vogue
A look at the life and work of Martin Luther King.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/mlk-more-radical-than-we-remember
gal-dem
Gal-dem is a media publication which is committed to telling the stories of women and non-binary people of colour. They empower women and non-binary POC to tell their stories and empower themselves in a world where the media tries to erase their voices. The link below is to their ‘politics’ section where they have great articles on race, gender, class and sexuality but their whole website is great!
https://gal- dem.com/politics/
mental health resources fo black teens
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/mental-health-resources- black-teens
If you are black and you have been affected by what you have seen in the news or social media, this article discusses ways to look after your mental health and seek
help.
r
VIDEOS
Clicking the links on the slides will take you to the web-page, or you can copy and paste the links
into your web browser.
The Rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement
A short documentary which documents the rise of
the Black Lives Matter movement in conversation
with its co-founder, Patrisse Cullors.
Warning: This documentary contains short clips which show violence against African Americans.
This may upset you. If you want to speak to someone, reach out to an adult at home, school or your friends. Don’t suffer in silence!
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgFI0phqRIY
‘I Have a Dream’ – mlk’s speech
Martin Luther King’s famous speech, ‘I Have A Dream’ in 1963.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s
The atlantic slave trade: what too few textbooks told you
A short video which details how the Atlantic Slave Trade still has ramifications for how society perceives race today.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXC4Q_4JVg
The problem with saying ‘All Lives Matter’
A short, simple video which explains why saying ‘All Lives Matter’ is
problematic.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.
com/watch? v=Fk7ikGW6VRg
intersectionality 101
A short video which clearly explains
the really important concept of
‘Intersectionality’. A must-watch!
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=w6dnj2IyYjE
akala on everyday racism
Racism is a business. Its marketing is so successful that even Akala looks sideways at a young black man holding a lot of cash.These racial assumptions lead to ‘everyday’ racism – daily encounters and microaggressions. It’s time to recognise the relationship between top-down propaganda and the
bias that we all carry.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=uZUvjAJGFkM
STEPHEN LAWRENCE
A series of videos which explain the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence, and how it changed Britain
forever.
1.
A short overview of the Stephen Lawrence murder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh_Spb7hjjU
- A video which discusses the institutional racism in the police at the time of Stephen Lawrence’s murder. WARNING: Very strong
language and upsetting scenes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XL5f45TJgM - The video focuses on the initial failure to achieve justice for the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the process leading to the
eventual conviction of two of the perpetrators, as well as the response of the media and the
role of parliament in addressing flaws within the criminal justice system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XupZJvJoYUQ the windrush generation
A series of videos which explain who the Windrush generation are, why they are so important, and the Windrush scandal of
2018.
1.
A short overview of the Windrush Generation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKJ- iqFmHOQ - An explanation of the Windrush Scandal and interviews with people coming from the Windrush Generation
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Q4SIP7EZze4 grenfell tower fire
A series of videos
which explain how the
fire of Grenfell
Tower revealed racial
and class
inequalities in
London. Warning: The first
video may distress viewers. - Survivors of Grenfell fire tell of their experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=xwyDZdrXF7A - Rapper AJ Tracey comments on the lack of government response of Grenfell Tower
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=4DuKsxtLY58 - Rapper Akala comments that Grenfell fire happened because ‘they were poor’
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=n9NWK7VOLig FILMS/tv shows
You can watch these films on Netlix or Amazon Prime. THE HATE U GIVE
Starr Carter, an African- American teenager, faces pressure from various communities and tries to stand up for what is right after she witnesses the shooting of her best friend by the police. HIDDEN FIGURES
Hidden Figures tells the incredible untold story of Katherine Jonson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind the launch into orbit of astronaut John Glenn, a stunning achievement that turned around the Space Race. The visionary trio crossed all gender and racial line and inspired generations. maya angelou: AND STILL I RISE
The first feature documentary about the remarkable writer, poet, actress, activist Maya Angelou, whose words touched the nation and continue to inspire people
across the world today. Warning: Contains references to rape. the help
The Help recounts the story of a young white journalist Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan and her relationship with two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi. In an attempt to become a legitimate journalist and writer, Skeeter decides to write a book from the point of view of the maids, exposing
the racism they are faced with as they work for white families. Black domestic workers in 1960s America were referred to as “the help”, hence the title of the journalistic expose, the novel and the film. hairspray
In 1960s Baltimore, dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) auditions for a spot on “The Corny Collins Show” and wins. She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Perhaps her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny’s reigning dance queen and bring racial integration to the show. when they see us
When They See Us is a 2019 American drama television miniseries. It is based on events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and explores the lives and families of the five male suspects who were falsely accused then prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park, New York City. It is available to watch on Netflix. fruitvale station
Fruitvale Station is a 2013 American biographical drama film written and directed by Ryan Coogler. It is based on the events leading to the death of Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed in 2009 by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale district station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in Oakland. music/poetry ‘BLACK’ BY DAVE @ BRIT AWARDS, 2020 Black Thought – “Rest in Power” Music Video: The Trayvon Martin Story lANGSTON HUGHES & THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
Langston Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance: the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of American cities, particularly Harlem. A major poet, Hughes also wrote novels, short stories, essays, and plays. He sought to honestly portray the joys and hardships of working-class black
lives, avoiding both sentimental idealization and negative stereotypes. This website gives a history of his life, the Harlem Renaissance and lists
his poems.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/langston-hughes poems written by black poets: more links
https://poets.org/12-poems-read-black-history-month
www. poetryfoundation.org/collections/101640/celebrating- black-history-month STILL I RISE – MAYA ANGELOU
Watch Angelou reading the poem
aloud here:
Read the poem here:
https://www.poetryfoundation. org/poems/46446/still-i-rise
For more information about Maya
Angelou:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ poets/maya-angelou podcasts ABOUT RACE – Reni Eddo Lodge
From the author behind the bestselling Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, comes a podcast that takes
the conversation a step further.
Featuring key voices from the last few decades of anti-racist activism, About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge looks at the recent
history that lead to the politics of today.
WWW.ABOUTRACEPODCAST.COM 1619 – NEW YORK TIMES
An audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of
storytelling.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.html CODE SWITCH
What’s CODE SWITCH? It’s the fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color,
our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because
we’re all part of the story.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch? t=1591185257009 NO COUNTRY FOR YOUNG WOMEN
Two Londoners, Sadia Azmat and Monty Onanuga, talk about
navigating being a WOC (woman of colour) and children of immigrants. A podcast which simultaneously talks about serious
issues but is full of humour and wit!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p063zy3c/ episodes/downloads independents & individuals @akalamusic – Akala is a London based Hip Hop Artist, writer, educator
@afuahirsch – author of Brit(ish), broadcaster, and former barrister.
@ayocaesar – Ash Sarkar is a British journalist and political activist currently serving as Senior Editor at Novara Media
@alicehasters – Berlin based journalist
@redlightvoices – Writer, feminist, Latina, sudaca, immigrant based in Amsterdam
@olavetalks – Writer, artist, activist and host of Olave Talks / Olave Explains, based in NL/BE @idealblackfemale – North American based writer and educator.
@wellreadblackgirl – A reading group for black women, regularly sharing resources.
@nowhitesaviors – An advocacy campaign led by a majority female, majority African team of professionals based in Kampala, Uganda.
@theconsciouskidlib – Parenting/Education through a Critical Race Lens.
@lavernecox – North American actress and LGBTQ+ advocate
@munroebergdorf – British model, activist and LGBTQ+ advocate
@rachelcargle – Public academic, writer, and lecturer whose activism and academic work is rooted in providing intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood.
@indyamoore – North American actor, model and LGBTQ+ advocate
@blackpowerbottomtext – North American activist and movement worker
@claricegargard – journalist, columnist & filmmaker on race and resistance and more in the Netherlands
@alokevmenon – genderfluid writer, performer, speaker, poet, author of Femme in Public & Beyond The Binary
@laylafsaad – author of Me and White Supremacy
Inspirationalyou.org 