About the Project

This project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It set out to tell the shared history of anti-racism in the Midlands—not as the story of one group or moment, but as a collective journey shaped by people of many races, cultures, and communities working together. In today’s world, where there is increasing division and a focus on individual identities, we wanted to shine a light on the times when people stood together across differences to fight racism and build fairer, more inclusive societies.

At the heart of this project is the belief that the past matters to the present—and that younger generations have an important role to play in carrying this history forward.

We collected early oral histories and began exploring archives. These conversations revealed rich, powerful stories that had rarely been told publicly. While the world these elders grew up in—whether in the former British colonies or in postwar Britain—is very different from today, their experiences still speak powerfully to the hopes, challenges, and values many young people hold today. That’s why we made intergenerational collaboration a key aim of the project.

We invited young people to work directly with these oral histories and archives, helping them to explore and interpret this history in creative ways.

The project was built around seven key goals, including:

• Promoting inclusion and reaching new, diverse audiences

• Creating anti-racism learning resources for schools and communities

• Celebrating untold histories that have often been left out of mainstream heritage work

• Acknowledging the vital support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in making this possible

Overall, this project is about honouring those who stood up against racism, learning from their courage and creativity, and ensuring their legacy continues to inspire future generations.