Key People (Writers, Artists and Activists)

Summary

All items listed in the REAL resource bank were suggested by research participants of the ‘Exploring Race and Ethnicity on Social Science Degree Programmes’ project, or colleagues at University of Brighton, as resources they had found useful in their own teaching. They are not intended as definitive recommendations from the project team, and readers should make their own judgements as to which items would be most useful and appropriate for their needs. Similarly, the short summaries of each listed item are meant as approximate indicators rather than comprehensive synopses and should act primarily as a starting point for further exploration.

Akala

Akala (Kingslee Daley) fuses hip-hop, theatre, and scholarship to explore race, empire, and social justice. Through music, The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, and his book Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, he educates and inspires, combining anti-racist critique, historical insight, and performance to reshape understanding and cultural engagement globally.

 Maya Angelou

Rising from the Harlem Writers Guild, Maya Angelou transformed autobiographical writing into a platform for truth and justice. Her work, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, confronts racism, trauma, and identity. Angelou’s 36 books inspire generations, shaping literature, education, and global conversations on equity and resilience.

James Baldwin

James Baldwin chronicled the complexities of race, identity, and injustice in America through novels, essays, and plays. Confronting systemic racism and white complacency, he illuminated Black experiences while probing universal human struggles. His incisive literary and social critique reshaped American culture, influencing civil rights discourse and generations of writers and thinkers worldwide.

Jeffrey Boakye

Blending education, writing, and public engagement to explore race, Black British culture, and masculinity, Jeffrey Boakye shapes young minds and professional practice through books, workshops, media, and teacher training. His work makes complex social issues accessible, fostering equity, critical reflection, and deeper cultural understanding.

Reni Eddo-Lodge

Author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Eddo-Lodge examines systemic racism, white privilege, and structural inequality in Britain. Her accessible, deeply researched work has reshaped public conversations about race, offering educators a powerful text for exploring whiteness, privilege, and contemporary antiracism.

Afua Hirsch

Afua Hirsch is a writer, broadcaster, and former barrister whose work explores race, identity, and social justice. Her Times Bestseller Brit(ish) examines the complexities of belonging in Britain. Through journalism, documentaries, and public speaking, she interrogates systemic inequality, amplifying marginalized voices and exploring the historical and contemporary forces shaping society.

Jaspreet Kaur

Jaspreet Kaur (Behind the Netra) is a spoken word poet, writer, and educator using art and teaching to confront gender discrimination, mental health stigma, and postcolonial immigrant experiences from a British South Asian perspective. Her work, including Brown Girl Like Me, and public performances, amplifies marginalized voices while fostering empathy, empowerment, and social justice.

 Meghan Markle

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is an advocate for racial and social justice, focusing on equity, representation, and inclusion. Through Archewell Foundation, her podcast Archetypes, and writing, she explores systemic bias, challenges stereotypes, and amplifies underrepresented voices, using storytelling and activism to address race, ethnicity, and intersectional inequality globally.

Peggy McIntosh

Best known for “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” McIntosh revealed how racial privilege operates invisibly in everyday life. Her accessible framework helped educators and organisations recognise systemic inequity. McIntosh’s work remains a key entry point for understanding whiteness, privilege, and the need for reflective, anti-racist education.

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a British Nigerian activist, lawyer, and commentator advancing racial, gender, and social equity. Author of This Is Why I Resist, she promotes women and BAME leadership, challenges systemic bias, and amplifies underrepresented voices while educating, campaigning, and shaping public discourse on inclusion, diversity, and empowerment globally.

David Olusoga

Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga brings Britain’s colonial and Black histories into public view through works like Black and British: A Forgotten History. His accessible storytelling exposes how empire and race shaped modern Britain, providing educators with vital resources for decolonising curricula and expanding public historical understanding.

Ingrid Pollard

A visual artist and photographer, Pollard’s work interrogates race, landscape, and belonging in Britain. Through portraiture and documentary photography, she challenges who is seen as “naturally” British, revealing the racialised politics of place and representation. Her art invites critical reflection on visibility, identity, and nationhood.

Claudia Rankin

Exploring race, identity, and the lived experiences of Black Americans through genre-defying poetry, Claudia Rankine she examines systemic injustice, microaggressions, and cultural memory. Her collections, including Citizen: An American Lyric and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, have reshaped literary and cultural conversations, offering profound insight into race, society, and the self.

Danez Smith
An American poet and performer, Smith explores race, gender, queerness, and social justice in works like Don’t Call Us Dead. Their poetry combines lyrical intensity with political critique, illuminating Black experiences and systemic oppression, inspiring discussion on identity, intersectionality, and activism in educational settings.