Race History Detectives
Learn how to become a Race History Detective
Join Us
Become a Race History Detective
Are you passionate about history, social justice, and activism?
Do you want to be part of something bigger ,something that helps tell the real story of Birmingham?
Join Beyond Racism’s Race History Detectives. A unique opportunity to uncover, document, and share the city’s powerful history of anti-racism, while building skills that matter.
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Uncovering Birmingham’s Anti-Racism Story
Birmingham has a rich, often untold history of people standing up to racism and fighting for change.
The Race History Detectives programme, funded by the Heritage Lottery, brings that history to life — from the 1940s to today.
Through research, interviews, and creative storytelling, you’ll help build a living record of the people, movements, and moments that have shaped the city.
Tim Hughes
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Your Purpose and Gain
By joining the Race History Detectives programme, you will:
- Discover Birmingham’s Black history and the movements that shaped the city
- Learn how to carry out real research and interview activists who have led change
- Explore how institutions responded — and what worked, and what didn’t
Help create an interactive website and archive for future generations - Develop audio and video skills to tell powerful stories
- Take part in sessions led by experts, including the Stuart Hall Archive Project and Dr Robert Beckford
This is a fully accredited programme, so you’ll gain recognised learning as well as real-world experience.
While we especially welcome young people, the programme is open to anyone who wants to understand, document, and shape the story of Birmingham.
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Seeking the Pioneers: Why This Matters
This work is part of Seeking the Pioneers. A project that is:
- Capturing firsthand stories of anti-racism activism
- Examining how institutions responded and whether they made a difference
- Shining a light on both well-known and overlooked activists
- Building a timeline that shows both progress and the challenges that remain
This isn’t just about the past.
It’s about understanding how change happens — and what still needs to change.
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What You’ll Learn
You’ll be trained in:
- What anti-racism means — and what it takes to be an anti-racist activist
- Birmingham’s anti-racism timeline
- Oral history and research skills
- Transcribing and editing interviews
- Birmingham’s Black history
- Audio and video production
- You’ll also get access to key resources, including: the Black Oral History Exhibition, Mx60 Resource Pack, Land of Money, and the Stephen Lawrence Review.
Join Us and Make History
Join us and make history
This is your chance to be part of something real.
- To learn.
- To question.
- To document.
- To tell stories that matter.
Don’t just learn history; help uncover it. Become a Race History Detective.
Register Interest
Fill out the form below to register your interest in joining our Race History Detectives programme.
We will contact you based on when the next programme is running and availability of places.
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