Lost for Words
Talking to Friends and Family about Race and Racism in the UK
'How do I help?' is such a difficult question to answer. Only you can know how to affect change in your daily life, and how big or small those changes might need to be.
One of the biggest things we think you can do is to truly listen and learn about what is going on, and then use this information to talk.
Talk to friends. Talk to family. Talk to colleagues.
You can help to make talking about race and racism become less taboo by doing it more often, with less ignorance.
Charities and petitions are further down this page (using these links will cause page to reload) and suggested books are here.
Here a few tips to get you started:
Donate
A great way to show solidarity! Below is a list of charities you can donate to which support progress towards a world without systemic racism:
https://www.facinghistory.org/about-us
https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
https://www.runnymedetrust.org/
https://www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/
You can also donate to Black Lives Matter UK (BLMUK), a coalition of black activists and organisers from around the UK. The fundraiser is asking for donations in order to “support UKBLM’s work with black communities in the UK”.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund
Support Lost for Words
We have also been asked by some very kind souls about donations towards the running of the Lost for Words. There is, of course, no obligation, but this project has been entirely funded by the two of us, so if you have found the website helpful and have a little to spare to say thank you, we would really appreciate it:
Signing petitions is a quick and free way to use your voice. Bring government attention to issues that you support or actively refute. Here are a few that we have been sent and/or signed:
Suspend UK Export of Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets and Riot Shields to USA
The UK government must condemn Trump's response to George Floyd's murder #speakupBoris
Anti-Racism Education to be Compulsory in U.K Schools
Battle Racism by Updating GCSE Reading Lists
Include Afro Hair Education In The Hairdressing NVQ
Mandate regular anti-racist training for all teachers
Teach Britain's colonial past as part of the UK's compulsory curriculum
Add education on diversity and racism to all school curriculums
Making the UK education curriculum more inclusive of BAME history
Make Anti-Racism training mandatory in all UK workplaces
Require all police officers to take Anti-Racism education
Introduce Gender and Race equity for GCSE English Literature set texts
Make black history a compulsory part of the national curriculum for all ages
Find more race and equality petitions at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions?state=open&topic=race-and-equality
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