A teacher who endured "harrowing" racism growing up in Westfield has said never he could have dreamed black history would be taught in schools.

Marvin Richardson-Grubb joined a boxing club at just five years old to learn to defend himself from regular verbal and physical abuse.

He said racism is less obvious now but still happens in covert ways and there is a long way to go.

The teacher at the Mendip Studio School in Writhlington was speaking during a webinar to launch a new film by Bath charity Boys in Mind, Girls Mind Too showcasing work in schools to tackle racial discrimination.

Following a shocking alleged incident where a black student was chained to a lamp post in a "mock slave auction", Beechen Cliff has asked students and staff to sign a "pledge of respect", while Ralph Allen School has removed the name of Sir William Pulteney, who profited from slave plantations.

Mr Richardson-Grubb, who grew up in Westfield in the 1970s and 1980s, told the webinar: "I was born Marvin.

"A child came to school and called me a 'blackie sambo'. That was where it all started.

"It was all unleashed. It was harrowing from six years old right through my school years.

"In the 70s and 80s it seemed to be open season for people of colour. I could be racially abused in the street, including by adults, physically attacked.

"I spent most of my life trying to make myself stronger, stop myself being a target. Adults would attack you, racially abuse you in the street, children weren't allowed to play with us in the street.

"I think it's got better to some extent. When I was younger racism was right in your face.

"The thing that alarms me now is racism is covert. You can't see it so much now."

But he is hopeful, adding: "I started teaching in 2010. For the first few years Black History Month wasn't celebrated.

"I couldn't understand it. Now it is. Now we're discussing this.

"It's a dream – I never thought I'd see it in my life."

Mr Richardson-Grubb fell into teaching and said he now has a chance to make a difference in children's lives.

He said more people of colour should become teachers but they need a better experience of school themselves to want to go back.

"It's very hard to learn when you're so different," said Mr Richardson-Grubb.

"What I'd like to come out of this film is that students in schools don't feel different, aren't as frightened as I was, and feel secure in their own being. Things have got better but there's a long, long way to go."

His niece Lucia Vinyard is a youth advisor at Boys in Mind, Girls Mind Too.

She said: "Racism isn't a thing of the past. It's still happening now.

"Often my peers think racism is quite far away from me. I'm 19, I've been called the N-word multiple times, I've been called dirty, I've had people judge me from walking into the room purely because of the colour of my skin. Things like that are still happening today."

The 19-year-old drama student added: "The first time I ever got taught by someone from an ethnic minority was when I was 17 when I went to a drama school in London.

"Growing up, I didn't feel I had anyone to turn to that related to problems I faced purely because of the colour of my skin.

"It's really important young people have the support I didn't feel I had as a young mixed race girl growing up in Bath."

Eli, another youth advisor at the charity, said: "Discrimination was quite a big part of my life at school. I didn't really have anyone I could go to.

"You don't really want to go to a teacher because there's no teacher that looks like you or you feel will understand what you've got to say.

"In schools now we're starting to see a real, real difference. The sooner children talk about these things, the better it will be."

Beechen Cliff's pledge of respect is a student-led project started in 2018 when the school's equalities team was trying to start an anti-bullying charter.

The pledge says those who sign it will treat others with compassion and allow everyone to be free to be themselves.

Enya, a student at the school, said: "I believe the pledge of respect is going to decrease the levels of racism we see throughout the school.

"I believe this will have a real big impact on mental health, as if people are feeling discriminated against and judged, they won't be who they feel they want to be."

Ralph Allen School student Indra Black, the member of youth parliament for Bath and North East Somerset, said: "I hope the film will inspire students and teachers to make a difference in their own lives.

"The film shows how easy it is to create change, to make schools a fairer place to be.

"It would be useful if it encourages students to speak up against racism. Combating racism in schools is such an essential thing as it shapes young people for the future."

The webinar was hosted by Bath and North East Somerset Council leader Dine Romero, who chairs a race panel.

"This is far too big a problem for a quick and simple fix," she said.

"It's about spreading that message and making sure everyone truly understands that racism isn't a thing of the past.

"In Bath we feel part of a bubble. We need to have our eyes opened.

"We need to work more together to make sure this isn't a problem for the future.

"If you ever think the conversation is stopping, challenge us.

"Race equality can be bedded into the curriculum. It should be fundamental in school policies. It's really good that young people are learning about prominent people from different races.

"Visible diversity is important. We need to get more good role models into schools. I'm going to extend the call for schools to do more, and universities and other institutions."