An African-American family has been shocked after their daughter’s classmate was banned from attending a birthday party on the basis of race.

Ten-year-old Harmony Jones from Tennessee, USA received the ‘hurtful’ note from a friend last week, which said that Harmony’s skin colour was the reason they could not attend.

“I will not be able to go to your birthday sleepover because my dad will not let me go because you are black,” said the letter.

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Harmony’s father Christopher Jones told local news station WREG the letter had angered him.

“It hurt me that my 10-year-old girl had to deal with this, and I myself never thought I would have to deal with this,” Mr Jones said.

“I guess us as parents need to be more aware and conscious about what we teach our children.”

Local civil rights activist Lasimba Gray told WREG the note was regrettable but could serve as a learning curve.

“Fifty-two years since the Dr. King [Martin Luther King] ‘I have a dream speech,’ you would think that the basis for racism would disappear, but evidently it is being perpetuated by those who teach it,” Mr Gray said.

“When parents run across racism that’s a good moment to teach tolerance, but more than that, to teach understanding to appreciate each other and celebrate our diversity.”