In recent years the prejudice in our society and societies has been increasingly challenged, not always stopped but certainly discussed and addressed. However, for some minority, ethnic, religious and culturally defined groups the prejudice has not been universally challenged or even fully accepted as being serious, real, divisive or having a presence whose effects are constantly damaging.

To be a member of a group that is discriminated against, where negative stereotypes are deemed acceptable, normal and legitimate can be demoralising, disruptive and certainly life-limiting.

Individuals and groups that receive prejudice in British and European societies are diverse; they are not all of the same skin colour, religion, cultural heritage, or ethnic community, and even within those communities there is diversity and difference of opinions.

If everyone is to have an equal chance to contribute to the society they live in and to live without threats or discrimination then all forms of prejudice need to be open to challenge. If history teaches us anything it is that knowledge and education are some of the most powerful tools for change. That is why the development of knowledge and the importance of education are at the heart of what the HA does.

We are committed to developing projects and education opportunities that tackle prejudice and discrimination in today’s society, using history and historical knowledge of different groups as a grounding for understanding why prejudice is so dangerous and how cultural differences can be explored and understood for the benefit of all in society.

One of the groups we have chosen to explore in honour of the work already carried out by our former Deputy President Helen Snelson is the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community (GRT). The GRT communities have a rich and varied heritage in the UK and across Europe, and despite hundreds of years of being part of a wider European history they are still discriminated against and persecuted.

To address the current realities of prejudice against the GRT community we are fundraising for a project to provide high quality education resources and train educational specialists to deliver lessons and programmes that explore GRT heritage and the discrimination against them.

Find out more about this project and how you can help

Helen Snelson

Helen Snelson was a huge presence within the history teaching community and within the Historical Association, acting as both Chair of Secondary Committee and Deputy President. Helen dedicated her later career to inspiring the next generation of new history teachers and to carrying out work to support inclusive history teaching. Sadly, Helen passed away in the summer of 2024. We have launched this fundraiser in her honour.