#SRtRCSpotlight: “I Learned New Things About Myself” – A Workshop on Identity & Anti-Racism
How do we help children embrace their identities while challenging racism?
The North West Team recently held a workshop at Halliwell Homes, a children’s residential home, to educate to do just that—through open discussions, powerful stories, and creative expression.
The session began with the children sharing what made them happy and what they loved about themselves. From there, they explored the stories of Ruby Williams and Shaka Hislop. Ruby’s story highlighted the emotional effects of exclusion based on physical appearance, specifically her Afro hair, while Shaka’s story helped them explore the impact that words can have and how important it is to be considerate of our language.
The children were relaxed and open with their discussions, understanding the range of negative emotions that words have on people, emphasising how they can either uplift or hurt others. They also touched upon stereotypes, taking part in an activity which illustrated the difficulty of accurately labelling people based on appearance, helping them understand that we shouldn’t make assumptions about others based on their appearance.
The children learned about of melanin, learning about the reasons for different skin tones and how these differences should be celebrated. To conclude, the children created personalised book covers that celebrated their unique qualities, encouraging them to take pride in what makes them special.
The session helped inspire the children to embrace their individuality, reject stereotypes, and appreciate the diversity around them. Beyond the workshop, these lessons could shape how they navigate friendships, school, and their own self-worth—equipping them to challenge bias and take pride in what makes them unique.
Educational Worker, Hannah, says,
“It was a lovely session, giving the children the chance to really reflect on what they love about themselves and what makes them happy which is such a rare opportunity for them, but so important in helping them understand what it means to celebrate identity.”
During the session, one of the children remarked on how fun they found the workshop, ‘I liked it because it helped me learn new things about myself and other people.’
Inspired by this workshop?
If you are based in the North West of England and would like us to deliver a session on identity, diversity or anti-racism for your school, youth group, or organisation, book a workshop today!