Racism Awareness

08 Nov Racism Awareness

We were really pleased to welcome Leroy Rosenoir (ex-professional football player and vice president of the charity, Show Racism The Red Car) into our classrooms (virtually) to learn from him about racism awareness this week.

Leroy’s talk was very interactive, which kept the children totally engaged.  His excellent questions really encouraged them to think deeply about racism and generated some very thoughtful conversation.  He discussed the different areas of racism and how it can feel to be on the receiving end.  He also emphasised that it must never be ignored and how important education is in raising awareness.

After the session with Leroy, the children and their teachers reflected on everything he had said, including advice his dad had given him. It was amazing to hear their responses and see just how much they had learnt from him in such a short space of time!  Here are some comments from the children:

 ‘It has made me realise that it is never ok to ignore racism’ Year 6 child.

‘Racism can be aimed at someone’s culture too’  Year 6 child.

‘You shouldn’t be embarrassed; it is the person who is acting shamefully that should be.’ Year 5 child.

‘Words can hurt and stay forever.’ Year 5 child.

‘I found him inspiring because he didn’t quit even though people were racist to him’ Year 4 child.

‘I like how he told his story and that he’s using his experiences to teach others about racism’ Year 4 child.

We are very thankful to Leroy for visiting us and sharing his experiences.  We will continue to refer to his talk in class and hope to work with him again in future.