Nova Reid and David Harewood in conversation

Nova Reid (anti-racism activist, TED speaker, podcast host and author) and actor David Harewood (Homeland; Supergirl; Othello, NT) spoke about the systemic racism that impacts the mental health of Black and Brown people. This conversation is for those who want to be a part of change but feel helpless and don't know how to move forward. David reflects on his personal experience of psychosis, and Nova explains how to become an effective ally against racism. Together, we can change the world for the better.

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This talk lasts 60 minutes, and was streamed live from the National Theatre, London.

You can buy a copy of The Good Ally (Nova Reid) and Maybe I Don’t Belong Here (David Harewood) from the National Theatre bookshop, by following these links:
https://shop.nationaltheatre.org.uk/products/the-good-ally
https://shop.nationaltheatre.org.uk/products/maybe-i-dont-belong-here

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The Good Ally (Nova Reid)

The Good Ally is an urgent call to arms to become better allies against racism and provides a thoughtful approach, centering collective healing, to do so. It is a book for those against persistent racial injustice, hungry to expand their knowledge and understanding of systemic racism in Britain and beyond. It uncovers the roots of racism and its birthplace, anti-Blackness. It is for those who not only want to be able to better recognise both subtle and overt forms of racism in action, to examine their powerful role in it, but who want to know what to do about it. The answer often lies within.

The Good Ally is the answer to ‘what next?’

Full of punch, humour and hope, and packed with searing research as well as case studies – some toe-curling, some blood-boiling – The Good Ally will show you how, with knowledge, a dose of self-interrogation and a lot of courage, we can broker our privilege and be part of powerful change.

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Maybe I Don't Belong Here (David Harewood)

'As a Black British man I believe it is vital that I tell this story. It may be just one account from the perspective of a person of colour who has experienced this system, but it may be enough to potentially change an opinion or, more importantly, stop someone else from spinning completely out of control.' – David Harewood

Is it possible to be Black and British and feel welcome and whole?

When David Harewood was twenty-three, his acting career beginning to take flight, he had what he now understands to be a psychotic breakdown and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He was physically restrained by six police officers, sedated, then hospitalized and transferred to a locked ward. Only now, thirty years later, has he been able to process what he went through.

What was it that caused this breakdown and how did David recover to become a successful and critically acclaimed actor? How did his experiences growing up Black and British contribute to a rupture in his sense of his place in the world?