Race relations in 20th century Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the experiences of black and Asian people in post-war Britain were impacted by increasing racism and changing laws.
Key learning points
- As increasing numbers of black and Asian people settled in Britain, racism and discrimination also increased.
- The Race Relations Acts were introduced to address issues of ongoing racism in Britain.
- The media was used to exacerbate tensions and to increase support for anti-immigration campaigns.
- The Race Relations Acts did not change public attitudes overnight, but did show changing attitudes of the government.
Keywords
Race riots - riots that break out between groups that identify as different race (e.g. black and white people)
Colour bar - a system where people who are not considered white are denied access to the same services as white people
Repatriation - to return someone to the country they came from, this can be both voluntarily or involuntarily
Common misconception
The Race Relations Acts completely addressed the issues of racism that were rampant in post-war Britain.
The Race Relations Act went a long way in showing changing government attitudes and providing some protection to black and Asian people in post-war Britain - but they could not and did not change public attitudes overnight.
Teacher tip
In explaining Enoch Powell's speech you could consider playing an extract from the speech, having made a selection appropriate to the context of your class and teaching.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In what decade did World War Two (WW2) end?
Q2.What is the word for the process of freeing a nation from colonial rule?
Q3.What is the name for the organisation linking Britain and members of its former colonies?
Q4.Why did Britain encourage countries from its former empire to join the Commonwealth?
Q5.Match the categories given to migrant workers who wanted to come to the UK to their definitions.
migrants with a job in Britain to come to
migrants with special skills in short supply
migrants who could only take up unskilled jobs
Q6.What was the result of the 1968 Commonwealth Immigrations Act?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What did the increase of black and Asian migration to Britain after World War Two (WW2) lead to?
Q2.What is the term for denying access to services for people based on perceptions about their racial identity?
Q3.Which organisation criticised the 1965 Race Relations Act?
Q4.Support for anti-immigration campaigns was increased in the 1950s and 1960s through ...
Q5.In what areas did the 1968 Race Relations Act make racial discrimination illegal?
Q6.Put the following events in chronological order.
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Race relations in 20th century Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Race relations in 20th century Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Migrants in Britain, c800–present unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.