Action for Race Equality has launched its Racial Terminology Project. The Racial Terminology seeks to explore, reshape, and understand how racialised terminology is used and understood across UK communities and organisations. The project aims to place the individuals most impacted by racism at the heart of language development and help institutions navigate evolving terms in their anti-racist practice.

Both the report and guide were shaped by the views, experiences and reflections shared with us throughout the project. Developed during 2024 to 2025, the project drew on a UK-wide survey, focus groups with young people, and consultation with anti-racist voluntary sector organisations.

The report captures key findings on how racial terminology is used and understood across communities and organisations, while the guide offers practical support for more informed, honest and context-aware conversations about race in workplaces, schools and communities.

Key Outputs of the Project

Following extensive UK-wide surveys, focus groups with young people, and consultations with voluntary sector anti-racist groups, the project produced two core resources:

“If Other, please specify”: A research report capturing key data on language usage. It emphasizes that collecting ethnicity data and categorizing terms are vital tools for identifying structural racism, rather than just abstract vocabulary debates.
“Talking Race, Taking Action”: A practical guide and toolkit designed to foster more informed, honest, and context-aware conversations about race within workplaces, schools, and local communities.

Learn more about the project and read the report and guide by clicking here to read the report and access the guidelines.