AITC shares anti-racist message with 100 kids at workshop
Albion in the Community (AITC) is teaching the next generation about the importance of standing up to racism.
Around 100 local students in Year 6 and Year 7 came to the Amex Stadium to learn about equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
October is Black History Month in the UK, and organisations across football are highlighting some of the trailblazing achievements made by black players, coaches, and change-makers within the game.
Throughout October the Premier League is highlighting the ‘No Room For Racism’ campaign, raising awareness about the discrimination issues football faces, and reminding that hate has no place in our game.
As part of AITC’s mission to help combat racism and promote inclusion, students from three Brighton & Hove schools – Bevendean Primary, Moulsecoomb Primary, and BACA – were invited to come to the ‘LIVE Together’ event run by AITC, in partnership with American Express.
At the Amex, students were given an introduction into inclusivity and why this is important in our communities. Working in small teams they discussed the meaning of terminology associated with inclusivity (such as discrimination, equality, empowerment, allyship) and participated in a range of activities, including:
· Creating a collage silhouette of words and an acrostic poem (where the first letter of each line spells out a word) to describe their own strengths, passions and values and discuss the importance of supporting each other
· A practical activity where students used effective communication to achieve a combined goal while unable to use a specific sense (sight, speech, hearing), to demonstrate that with different abilities and strengths they were collectively able to succeed
The students took part in a number of different workshops to promote the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion, and to challenge them to think about the role they can play in making a difference.
The conference was run by qualified AITC tutors, who were supported by a team of volunteers from American Express.
Within the anti-racism workshop the students had a number of different exercises to complete. The AITC tutors spoke about the dangers of making assumptions about people based on race, and the consequences that those assumptions can have on people’s lives.
The workshop also covered the difference between being non-racist and anti-racist – the importance of taking action rather than staying passive and watching injustice without trying to help.
Students also learned about some of the different forms that racism can take: verbal racism, institutional racism, and micro-aggressions.
The workshop ended with an activity designed to teach the children about unconscious bias.
The students were given a selection of four names, and they had to choose one of them to become the manager of their football team based on nothing but their name. Afterwards, they learned that making judgements based on a person’s name can cause problems and doesn’t show you the full picture.
Matt Dorn, Albion in the Community CEO, believes that workshops like these can play a big part in tackling discrimination.
“These workshops are so valuable to the kids, especially when they’re at the kind of age when they’re just beginning to understand the real impact of racism,” Matt told us.
“An anti-racism message is one of the most important lessons we can teach them, so we’re really glad we’ve been able to share that with nearly 100 students.
“The children took part in a range of different workshops and activities, all with really key messages that they hopefully take with them throughout their lives. We’ve had amazing feedback from the schools and the students all seem to have taken the messages on board.”
Albion in the Community alongside Brighton & Hove Albion, the Premier League and other partners promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of football and within our communities.
The charity does work across Sussex to help combat discrimination in local communities.
AITC regularly holds lessons in local schools promoting an anti-racism message to primary-aged children. AITC also delivers events and workshops throughout the year, often with the help of partnership with Albion first team stars, to consider the impact of discrimination and to consider the causes and consequences of racism.
Matt Dorn says that promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion is an important mission for the charity.
“Through the lessons and workshops we hold, we reach kids all over Sussex with key messaging about diversity and inclusion,” Matt said.
“Our anti-racism workshops are really powerful and students walk away from them with the tools to recognise and call out racism when they see it.
“We also run workshops alongside Stonewall and the Premier League to help combat homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic discrimination, and disability awareness and inclusion is another really key area of our work.”
To find out more about our work in combatting discrimination, visit: https://bhafcfoundation.org.uk/community-wellbeing/reducing-inequality/tackling-discrimination/