Angela

In the 1960s my sister and I used to play with these. You have to pick up a stick without moving any of the others. Good for concentration. Mum needed the table so we used to lie on the lino.
In the 1960s my sister and I used to play with these. You have to pick up a stick without moving any of the others. Good for concentration. Mum needed the table so we used to lie on the lino.
Update: October 2020
It has been more than four months since we issued our solidarity statement. As we said in our statement: “We must do more than just speak out. Structural racism manifests itself differently in different countries and contexts. Awareness, education and action is vital.”
Which is why we wanted to update you on how we are living our solidarity statement:
Awareness
Education
Action
Original statement: June 2020
The Migration Museum stands in solidarity with black communities – in the US, the UK and worldwide.
Challenging racial inequality and discrimination and emphasising our common humanity is at the core of everything that we do. The recent events in the US and the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on BAME communities in many countries – in particular the UK – have brought to the world’s attention the need for real change in how we address structural racism and racial inequalities.
These are deeply troubling times for everyone. But for black people who visit us, who we work with and make up our team, and whose stories we are honoured to share, the current situation is heartbreaking. Museums and cultural institutions have an important role to play in recognising and challenging oppression, racism and injustice and highlighting issues that matter to our communities and audiences. We all can and should do more.
This is not a time to stay silent. It is only through speaking out and engaging that we can begin to move towards our vision of a diverse, tolerant and inclusive society that lives better together – not just on the topic of migration, but in all respects.
But we must do more than just speak out. Structural racism manifests itself differently in different countries and contexts. Awareness, education and action is vital.
Below, we’re sharing some resources that we hope might be helpful. But this list is only intended as a starting point – and we’d love to hear from you. If you have suggestions, please let us know in the comments below, by emailing us at info@migrationmuseum.org or on social media.
With so many heartbreaking images on both social and news media right now, we wanted to share some posts recognising and celebrating strength and resilience – as shared with us by some of our colleagues and friends.
And as we move towards and think about reopening, we’ll be keeping at the forefront of our minds how to best serve our communities. We’ll be sharing more details on our reopening plans and timings soon.
Here are some resources that we hope might be useful, informative and inspiring. This list is in no particular order and is intended merely as a helpful starting point. We’d love to hear from you about what you’ve been reading, watching and listening to. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.
The 1619 Project
The Case For Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
White Privilege – Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
Talking About Race – The National Museum of African American History and Culture
Systemic racism and police brutality are British problems too – Kojo Koram
The American Nightmare – Ibram X. Kendi
Do the work: an anti-racist reading list – Layla F Saad
11 Things to Do Besides Say ‘This Has To Stop’ In The Wake Of Police Brutality
What Black America Means to Europe by Gary Younge
Black Britain Matters – The Guardian
103 Things White People can do for Racial Justice
Impact of Covid-19 on BAME people
Racial Trauma in Film: How Viewers Can Address Re-Traumatization – Northwestern University
Museum & Workplace Specific Resources
Black Lives Matter Charter for the UK Heritage & Culture sector – Culture&
Professionalism in the age of black death
Psychological safety in times of political trauma
Educational Resources
7 Actions to Change the History Curriculum – Runnymede Trust
Talking About Race – The National Museum of African American History and Culture
Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain
The social and economic impact of slave ownership on British society – BBC Bitesize
The story of Black migrants in England in Tudor times – BBC Bitesize
10 TED classroom resources about race in America – TEDEd
Black History timeline – The Guardian
Lockdown Lectures – Professor David Olusoga
Lockdown Lectures – Professor Gary Younge
We encourage you to support local, black-owned bookshops where possible. Most of these are also available as audiobooks and ebooks.
How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – Reni Eddo Lodge
The Good Immigrant – edited by Nikesh Shukla
The Good Immigrant USA – edited by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman
Black and British: A Forgotten History – David Olusoga
There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack – Paul Gilroy
Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain – Peter Fryer
Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored – Jeffrey Boakye
Natives – Akala
Brit(ish) – Afua Hirsch
Kill the Black One First – Michael Fuller
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – Michelle Alexander
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood – Trevor Noah
Afropean: Notes from Black Europe – Johny Pitts
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo
If They Come in the Morning… Voices of Resistance – edited by Angela Y. Davis
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on how to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work – Tiffany Jewell
The Clapback: Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes – Elijah Lawal
How to Argue with a Racist – Adam Rutherford
“I Will Not Be Erased”: Our stories about growing up as people of colour – gal-dem
Memoirs of an Englishman – Paul Stephenson OBE
Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored – Jeffery Boakye
Me & White Supremacy – Layla F. Saad
White Privilege: The Myth of a post-racial Society
Diversify – June Sarpong
How to argue with a racist – Adam Rutherford
I Am Not Your Negro
13th
Black and British: A Forgotten History
Sitting in Limbo
Code Switch
United States of Anxiety
Higher Learning
Akala: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire on Unfiltered with James O’Brien
Afua Hirsch with David Olusoga on The Penguin Podcast
Have You Heard George’s Podcast?
No Country for Young Women
We Need to Talk About the British Empire
Seeing Color
With so many heartbreaking images on both social and news media right now, we wanted to share some posts recognising and celebrating strength and resilience – as shared with us by some of our colleagues and friends. These are some of the many #Resilience stories that we’ve been sharing on social media over the past few weeks.
Anna tells us why she carries her reindeer in her pocket wherever she goes…
Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS is a multimedia digital exhibition shining a light on the stories and experiences of people who have come to Britain to work in the National Health Service (NHS) over the past 72 years.
Click here to explore Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS
Read more about the exhibition
100 Images of Migration is the exhibition with which we launched the Migration Museum Project in 2013. The product of a competition run with the Guardian newspaper, it’s a collection of images by professional and amateur photographers that tell a compelling story about what migration means to people across the UK.
Click here to explore our online gallery of 100 Images of Migration
Read more about the exhibition
Keepsakes is a display of personal items that keep memories of migration and identity alive. These items and objects are either those that one generation has handed down to the next, or those that individuals keep as a reminder of a home, a country or a culture they have left behind or as some part of a past experience that they want to hold close to them.
Click here to explore our online gallery of Keepsakes
Read more about the exhibition
Our blog archive includes interviews with artists and contributors, posts by our team exploring some of the themes we explore in more detail, and guest posts shedding light on British migration history.
Click here to browse our blog archive
From our Migrants Mean Business podcast series of conversations with business leaders to our annual lectures, as well as videos and audio clips from our exhibitions and reports and publications we have written and contributed to, we have a wide range of audio, video and publications for you to watch, listen to and read.
Click here to browse our audio, video and publications
Looking for relevant, engaging learning resources on migration and ethnic diversity for your kids or students? Our searchable resource bank features some of the best resources on these themes, hand-picked by our learning team, broken down by subject, key stage and keywords.
Click here to browse our education resource bank
If you don’t follow us already, click the links below to view and follow us:
Twitter (@MigrationUK)
Facebook (@MigrationMuseumUK)
Instagram (@MigrationMuseumUK)