Seeking the Pioneers: Race history Detectives

We are now entering the second year of our two-year Heritage Lottery Fund project, Seeking the Pioneers, and wanted to take a moment to reflect on the journey so far. In short, this project celebrates the powerful and often overlooked history of local anti-racist activism in Birmingham, from the 1940s to today. Our goal has been to connect and inspire communities by preserving the stories of pioneering individuals who challenged structural racism and helped shape both Birmingham and Britain — work that continues through the present day.

Birmingham has a rich and proud heritage of anti-racist activism and movement-building. Through Seeking the Pioneers, the Birmingham Race Impact Group aim is to train a new generation of creatives, activists, and historians to collect and present oral histories. By documenting this legacy while it remains within living memory, the project ensures that the struggles and successes of the past can inform and empower future generations.

One of the cornerstone initiatives of the project has been the introduction of Race History Detectives — trained community researchers who delve into archival materials, conduct oral history interviews, and use creative media to preserve the powerful stories of individuals and movements central to Birmingham’s anti-racist history.

This role is vital. Much of this history has never been formally recorded and is at risk of being lost. By capturing firsthand accounts and analysing how institutions have responded to activism over the decades, Race History Detectives are helping to build a comprehensive timeline of anti-racist efforts. In doing so, they’re ensuring the experiences and lessons of the past continue to resonate and inspire.

With our first cohort of Race History Detectives already active, we sat down with two current participants to learn more about what motivated them to get involved. Both expressed a deep commitment to social justice and a desire to uncover and elevate the stories of Birmingham’s unsung anti-racist pioneers. As one detective put it:

“so I joined because I wanted to learn more about, like, anti racism and what we can do to be what can be done to like, change the way society is make a difference. And so I joined because I wanted to learn more about, like, anti racism and what we can do to be what can be done to like, change the way society is make a difference.”

Beyond preserving history, this initiative empowers its participants. Through hands-on experience in research, storytelling, and media production, Race History Detectives are gaining valuable skills — helping to foster a new generation of informed, creative, and active citizens dedicated to racial equity.

“So the reason I wanted to join I was quite intrigued by it. It was something I've been involved in anti racism work before, and I've sort of been out of it a little while, when I read about it. Although I'm not originally from Birmingham, I'm involved in community work in the area, so I thought it would be a good way to for me to learn a bit more history, andI was interested in the thought of being able to record information about the history of Birmingham and be able to share that knowledge with other people.”