Monthly talks on contemporary issues, open to anyone interested in serious discussion

The Myth of Racist Kids with Adrian Hart

Image Above: Children of different races holding each others wrists to form a pentangle
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 - 7:15pm to 9:00pm
The Brighthelm Centre
North Road
Brighton

'If a child feels an incident is racist - it is' - model head teacher quoted by Ofsted

It is estimated that around 250,000 racist incidents have been officially reported by schools since the legal duty to report took effect in 2002. Race relations officials claim this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the hidden reality of racism in Britain - 'institutional' or otherwise.

Are schools awash with racism or is this a fiction produced by a new brand of official anti-racism?

The Myth of Racist Kids' is a report produced by The Manifesto Club Publications , Adrian Hart uses his own experience working in primary schools (and observing one too many diversity workshops) as a spring-board for exposing what passes for anti-racism.

Adrian Hart demonstrates that today's official anti-racism threatens to disable a generation of children from rising above the divisive concept of race.

This brand of anti-racism has no place amidst Britain's dynamic social diversity and should, Hart argues, be scrapped: "This brand of anti-racism is about as progressive as racism itself and bears the familiar hallmark of the state seeking further opportunities to colonise and regulate everyday life. It stifles the burgeoning diversity taking place in Britain's primary schools, undermines the authority of schools, mistrusts teachers and profoundly misunderstands the nature of children."

To read more about Adrian Hart visit www.adrianHart.net

 

Recommended Readings

How official Anti-Racism holds black children back. Published on Spiked Online.

Can a Four Year Old be Racist?. Published on TES connect.

Jane Elliott, the American schoolmarm who would rid us of our racism. Published on The Guardian.

Schools reporting 40,000 racism cases a year. Published on The Telegraph.

 

In the Media

BBC Radio 2The Jeremy Vine Show, BBC Radio 2
In this extract of the show, Jeremy Vine discusses the increases of racism in schools with Sonia Poulton and Adrian Hart.
Last broadcast on 29th October 2009, 12:00 on BBC Radio 2
Click here to Listen 10 mins 47 sec

 

BBC Radio 4The PM Show, BBC Radio 4
In this extract of the show hosted by Carolyn Quinn, Adrian Hart and Jane Lane discus the increase of racism in schools.
Last broadcast on 29th October 2009, 17:00 on BBC Radio 4
Click here to Listen 6 mins 22 sec

 

BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 Live - The Breakfast Show
In this extract of the Radio 5 Live Breakfast Show, Nicky Campbell discusses the increases of racism in schools with Adrian Hart author of 'The Myth of Racist Kids' published by the Manifesto Club.
Click here to Listen 10 mins 50 sec

 

More 4More 4 News, Channel 4 TV
Nina Teggarty of More 4 News asks - Is school racism really a 'myth'?
Last Broadcast 29 October 2009 on More 4 News
Click here to Watch 3 mins 52 sec

 

Talk SportThe George Galloway Show, Talk Sport Radio
In this two part extract of the show, George Galloway discusses the increases of racism in schools with Adrian Hart.
Last broadcast on 30th October 2009, 11:00 pm on Talk Sport Radio
Click here to Listen to Part 1 8 mins
Click here to Listen to Part 2 5 mins

 

LBC Talk RadioLBC Talk Radio - The Breakfast Show
In this extract of the LBC Sunday Morning Radio Show, Andrew Pierce discusses the increases of racism in schools with Adrian Hart author of 'The Myth of Racist Kids' published by the Manifesto Club.
Broadcast on 1st November 2009, 11:00 pm on LBC Talk Radio
Click here to Listen 10 mins 33 sec

Speaker

Adrian Hart is an award winning community film-maker and founder of Coyote Films.He is a lecturer to special needs students, an author and an anti-racism campaigner. Adrian Hart's film work includes: 'Safe' (winner LWTs Whose London? 2002), Moving Here' (awarded beacon status 2006) and 'Only Human' (2006 broadcast on Teachers TV in 2009).

Adrian Hart's latest publication 'The Myth of Racist Kids' uses his own experience with his ongoing work in primary schools (and observing one too many diversity workshops) as a spring-board for exposing what passes for anti-racism. Hart’s investigation shows how teachers are under government pressure to search out and report ‘racist’ behaviour that isn't there and how primary school children are being reported to the authorities for petty playground squabbles and everyday banter. It's a prescription for victimhood as anything, anyone 'feels' might be racist gets reported and cynically used to create a 'Myth of Racist Kids'... and government policy is their only saviour.

Adrian Hart's latest production is a television documentary about twenty-first century children and the end of ‘race’. Currently Hart is working on a film project with African Caribbean boys at Forest Hill School in south London and the commissioning of a TV documentary for 'The Myth of Racist Kids'.

Chair

Lucy is Lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Sussex who researches identity and activism in Britain. Published by Manchester University Press and a finalist in last year's Erotic Awards, Lucy is currently collaborating with fellow Salonite Sarah King working with Falklands veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.