Tackling racism with ClickView

4 mins read
Rupert Denton

March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Day was started by the United Nations in 1966 and is designed to remind us about the profound damage to individuals and societies caused by racial discrimination and spur people to work towards eliminating racism.
From investigations into British racism to documentaries about how racism is being fought in football, below are seven videos on the ClickView Exchange that provide examples of racism in the UK and abroad, spread awareness of this issue and elicit discussion about how it can be combated.

If you’re already a ClickView customer you can access these titles in addition to over 10 000 more through the ClickView Exchange, copy them to your personal workspace and push them in to your school’s ClickView library. Otherwise, you can request a free trial.

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Is Britain Racist?

In this programme Journalist Mona Chalabi explores people’s subconscious prejudices to reveal what British people believe about different ethnicities and religions. Chalabi reveals that three quarters of Britons claim they have no racial prejudices and seeks to test whether reality matches the statistics. The results paint a more complex picture than the statistical evidence suggests. In turn, Chalabi puts her own beliefs beneath the microscope before asking the important question: can people be trained to lose their prejudices? This programme forms an introspective look at the psychology of the British nation and will cause the audience to consider their own subconscious prejudices and beliefs. Watch it here.

Race Hate in Louisiana

Follow Tom Mangold as he visits the small town of Jena, Louisiana to investigate how race relations have changed since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. Mangold encounters some disturbing events, such as nooses tied to trees in school yards to threaten black students and the unofficial segregation that still exists in Jena, in turn this reveals the extent to which racism still pulses in places like Louisiana. This program provides an important reminder about the shocking ways in which racism can manifest itself even in democratic and multicultural societies and will provide a good comparative exercise for pupils thinking about how racism manifests itself in the UK. This programme contains some upsetting scenes. Watch it here.

Undercover: Hate on the Terraces

Join Dispatches reporter Morland Sanders as he investigates the extent of racism and homophobia in elite level English football. Sanders witnesses racist chants at some of the biggest football grounds in the country and online vilification on official football forums. In turn, Sanders raises questions about the commitment of official institutions and the authorities to try and combat and change this culture of discrimination. This is an important exposé into the darker side of this beloved sport and will raise discussions about what should be done about this problem and how we should conduct ourselves in such environments. Watch it here.

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Reggie Yates: Race Riots USA

Actor and presenter Reggie Yates visits the small town of Ferguson, Missouri a year after unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot by a policeman. This startling and confronting program reveals the extent to which the shooting has politicised Ferguson’s community and created a new generation of activists. Yates also looks at how new police recruits are being trained and the ongoing extent of discrimination facing African-Americans. This is a timely program given the worldwide awareness of movements such as Black Lives Matter which are fundamentally recasting race relations and shifting the discussion about everything from police brutality to cultural appropriation. Contains strong language and some upsetting scenes. Watch it here.

Skin Deep: The Story of Sandra Laing

Skin Deep: The Story of Sandra Laing tells the moving and tragic tale of Sandra Laing, who fell victim to South Africa’s notorious apartheid regime. Laing was a dark skinned child, despite having two white parents. In turn, she was shunned and isolated by her white classmates and eventually imprisoned for marrying a black man. Through interviews with Laing and a variety of her contemporaries pupils will learn about the history of apartheid and the oppression and cruelness that it dealt to non-white citizens. The documentary also provides a stark illustration of how an entire country’s legal system can be devised not to unite and protect its citizens regardless of their backgrounds but divide and oppress based on their background. Watch it here.

The Secret Policeman

In the Panorama documentary that captured headlines around the UK, journalist Mark Daley goes undercover as a police recruit in Manchester to reveal the extent of racism amongst new recruits. The program captured police officers engaged in racist behaviour including one recruit’s now infamous comment that “Stephen Lawrence,” who was murdered in a racially motivated attack, “deserved to die.” The programme led to resignations, inquiries and condemnation from the Home Secretary. The documentary is still relevant today with Britain’s top police officer, Sir. Bernard Hogan-Howe, stating in 2015 that British police forces may be institutionally racist.  This disturbing investigation will raise serious questions about the extent to which race determines whether a citizen is a likely to be subject to protection or suspicion from the law. Watch it here.

Is Football Racist?

In this documentary Former Premier League defender Clarke Carlisle investigates how far his profession has come since the days of bananas being thrown on the terraces. Clarke sets out with the belief that racism is largely non-existent in football and that recent media coverage of racist incidents suggest authorities are coming down hard on racism. He gradually realises, however, that the reality may not be so clear cut. Carlisle offers an even handed and thoughtful approach to this troubling issue while highlighting the fact that football could lead the way in combating racism across Britain by setting an example that is watched by hundreds of millions of people from diverse backgrounds each week. Watch it here.

If you have any suggestions for programmes currently on free-to-air television that you feel would make a  great resources for teachers and students feel free to contact: rupert.denton@clickview.co.uk