ThinkForward Welcome

Citi Welcome

ThinkForward CEOASHLEY Welcome

This book brings together a collection of unique artworks created by you, our amazing young people.

Your art and words harness the passion, activism, pain and anger you feel about race and identity, tell us in raw detail how racism affects your daily lives and show what it means to be Young and Black in the UK today.

Artwork from white young people demonstrates your understanding of racism and explores allyship and what it means to be actively anti-racist. Together you also speak of your hope for a future without discrimination and pledge to be changemakers in your communities.

Everyone who has taken part should be very proud of this book, which is the culmination of a series of artistic workshops, held as part of ThinkForward’s Young and Black project.

The Young and Black project was inspired by UK Youth’s Young and Black campaign, which was launched after the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 and in solidarity with the global anti-racist movement that followed.

As an organisation that exists to improve the lives of young people, we felt compelled to act when that shocking event occurred.

We were determined that our response shouldn’t be tokenistic or short-term but had a genuine impact across our organisation and on the lives of our young people. The Young and Black project, and a commitment to begin a wider equalities journey, were born out of those sentiments.

The project responds to the needs of our Black young people who told us they wanted a platform to share their views and lived experiences of what it is like to grow up as a person of colour. For our white young people, it was an opportunity to listen, learn and empathise but also, crucially, to develop confidence to challenge racism and other discriminatory behaviours when they see them play out in the world around them.

Over the summer of 2021, this inspiring project saw our coaches coming together with their young people in small groups to discuss and confront issues around race, identity, and equity. These sessions were followed by the workshops where young people created the art presented in this book. Every young person who took part will receive a copy.

Supporting young people to develop key work-ready skills is an essential part of our programmes. In addition to their learning and creative work, the sessions also supported young people to build capabilities such as communication, self-awareness and resilience, and develop confidence in their own identity so each can be their authentic self in life and at work.

ThinkForward have embarked on an equalities journey alongside our young people. We’ve placed equity, diversity and inclusion at the heart of how we will flourish as an organisation, grow as individuals both personally and professionally, and design and develop the best possible programmes for our young people.