Race and Racism in our Modern World

The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre (SLRC) opened its doors in 2019 and is a uniquely positioned physical space in the UK Higher Education landscape to study the politics of race and racisms in its many forms and guises. The SLRC is the current home of the Stephen Lawrence Exhibition and the Stephen Lawrence Archive. The archive was kindly donated to De Montfort University by Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon, Stephen’s mother and former Chancellor of DMU and has inspired the conversations in this series in memory of Stephen.

S2 E2: Migration, Marginalisation and Mobilisation: Leicester's South Asian Diaspora and Labour Rights Activism 03/31/2025

S2 E2: Migration, Marginalisation and Mobilisation: Leicester's South Asian Diaspora and Labour Rights Activism Leicester is home to a large South Asian community and often praised for being one of the most diverse cities in the UK - presented as a model of multicultural integration. However, labour exploitation strongly impacts the poorer demographics in the city, especially people with a recent history of migration that are employed in garment manufacturing. In May 2024, we dedicated an episode of our podcast to the Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974 to mark the 50th anniversary of this seminal event in the political history of the South Asian diaspora in the UK and of Leicester’s trade union movement. The following September, Francesco Sani moderated a roundtable of activists and trade unionists to understand what has changed in the city and what has stayed the same. Drawing from their experience of community and political activism, our guests Kaenat Yussufo (Labour Behind the Label), Shaista Jakhura (Panahghar) and Tom Barker (A Unison trade unionist from Ashfield Academy, Leicester) unpack the major dynamics that have led to the current state of affairs. For more information on Labour Behind the Label: . You can read Labour Behind the Label’s 2020 report on Boohoo here: . For info about the campaigns Labour Behind the Label is currently engaged in: (Petition in support of Leicester garment workers); (ASDA, Tesco, M&S: support UK garment workers!). For more info on Panahghar: For more information on the history of the Ashfield Academy trade dispute: The text quoted in the podcast comes from Giulio Palermo, “Counter-power: a Marxist View— An Ontological Enquiry” Cambridge Journal of Economics 48-5 (September 2024), 843–868. For some additional perspectives on political activism, labour rights and decolonisation in the UK context: Preeti Dhillon, The Shoulders We Stand On: How Black and Brown People Fought for Change in the United Kingdom (London: Dialogue Books, 2023); Adam Elliott-Cooper, “Abolishing institutional racism” Race & Class 65-1 (April 2023), 100-118. We also recommend the blog series Decolonising Economics: . Guests: Tom Barker, Shaista Jakhura, Kaenat Yussufo Host: Francesco Sani Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production LtdTwitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2025 Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/35638830

S2 E1: The Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974: The South Asian Diaspora in the UK, Trade Unionism, and the Struggle for Social Justice 05/23/2024

S2 E1: The Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974: The South Asian Diaspora in the UK, Trade Unionism, and the Struggle for Social Justice This episode is dedicated to the memory of Shardaben Chandarana, the leader of the 1974 Imperial Typewriters Strike. The Imperial Typewriters Strike was a major and iconic event in the history of South Asian Trade Unionism in the United Kingdom. It comes within a broader history of struggle for recognition and social justice, racial discrimination, and attempts towards integration and dialogue. In this episode Dr Fatima Rajina is joined by Amrit Wilson and Professor Sundari Anitha as they discuss the Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974. More information on the strike, as well as visual documentation, is available from the National Archives: To place the strike within the history of South Asia political activism and for some first-hand accounts of the events, you can check out the extensive work of Amrit Wilson and Professor Sundari Anitha on the topic: Finding a Voice: Asian Women in Britain (Wakefield (Quebec, Canada): Daraja Press, 2019 (first edition 1978)); Amrit Wilson, Dreams, Questions, Struggles: South Asian Women in Britain (London: Pluto Press, 2006); Sundari Anitha and her collaborators is a key reference: Linda McDowell, Sundari Anitha and Ruth Pearson, (2014) ‘Striking Narratives: class, gender and ethnicity in the ‘Great Grunwick Strike’, London, UK, 1976–1978,’ Women’s History Review, 23-4 (2014), 595–619; Sundari Anitha and Ruth Pearson, Striking Women: Struggles & Strategies of South Asian Women Workers from Grunwick to Gate Gourmet (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 2018). This shorter piece by Amrit Wilson can be a good place to start: . For additional resources on South Asian women’s activism in trade unions, the resources made available on can provide guidance and insight. This comic book represents an excellent introduction to their resources: . For a history of Western trade unionism within a global and transnational perspective: Ad Knotter, Transformations of Trade Unionism: Comparative and Transnational Perspectives on Workers Organizing in Europe and the United States, Eighteenth to Twenty-First Centuries (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018). For a broader picture of the history and current state of South Asian trade union activism in the UK, we signal the activities of the Indian Workers Association of Great Britain: . Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd Twitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2024, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/31438027

S1 E4: Greenwich Echoes: A Mother-Daughter Perspective on the Murder of Stephen Lawrence 12/12/2023

S1 E4: Greenwich Echoes: A Mother-Daughter Perspective on the Murder of Stephen Lawrence Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. When Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993 to what extent did the media or academic scholarship explore or acknowledge the grief of Doreen Lawrence and other black mothers who were once again reminded of how unworthy society perceived them and the lives of their children? This episode led by Rayann Bryan will explore the impact of Stephen’s murder on black mothers who may have felt some proximity to the grief and anguish of Baroness Lawrence. Claire Davis and her mother talk about their experience living and growing up in Eltham where Stephen was murdered. They reflect on the racial tensions and complexities of living in the area and how Stephen's murder impacted them and the rest of the communities. Hosted by: Rayann BryanGuests: Claire Davis & Dahlia Davis Rayann Bryan is a PhD student at the University of Greenwich. Her doctoral research is focused on investigating how immigration to the UK in the Windrush era has created an intergenerational effect of racial melancholia and trauma for the mothers and daughters of Windrush Rayann is also the founder of the Thelma Matilda Alves Foundation which is dedicated to addressing the prejudices and racism that inhibit black women from gaining access and working in the UK mental health sector and is currently Equality Lead at the NHS Federation Rayann Bryan's article for thinking through the idea of black universities in the UK. Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production LtdTwitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29036658

S1 E5: Place and Space in the Making of Race and Racism "Part One" 12/12/2023

S1 E5: Place and Space in the Making of Race and Racism "Part One" Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. In part one of this episode, Yusef is in conversation with Brixton residents Valcie, Hurley and Patrick. The discussion draws on experiences of life in Brixton. Juxtaposing this with Rayann’s episode on life in Eltham in the UK, we hear about a neighbourhood where Black cultures are shared and celebrated, but also how racisms and inequalities have restricted access to housing, security and opportunity. When listened to in conjunction with the rest of the series this episode helps us to understand the significance of space in the lives of minoritised people and the trade offs that are made between living in the multicultural inner city, where interpersonal racism and the threat of racist organisations can be reduced, but other urban problems like underfunded public services, over policing and limited housing stock make life challenging in different ways. These experiences contrast in some ways with those living in Eltham and help us understand better the textures and choices black and brown families may have to make when considering where they live in the UK. With thanks to guests: Valcie, Hurley and Patrick Host: Dr Yusef Bakkali Dr Yusef Bakkali is a Legacy In Action Research Fellow at the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and grew up in the South London district of Brixton. Through education and later academia, Yusef found sociology equipped him with a language to diagnose and challenge social problems affecting himself and the community. Developing a research and teaching praxis focused around social justice and change, Yusef encourages students to develop critical skills, developing fresh perspectives to aid them in tackling the challenges, both of today and the future. Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter for Nello and the People’s Production LtdTwitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29040843

S1 E6: Place and Space in the Making of Race and Racism "Part Two" 12/12/2023

S1 E6: Place and Space in the Making of Race and Racism "Part Two" Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. In part two of this episode, Yusef is in conversation with Brixton residents Valcie, Hurley and Patrick. The discussion draws on experiences of life in Brixton. Juxtaposing this with Rayann’s episode on life in Eltham in the UK, we hear about a neighbourhood where Black cultures are shared and celebrated, but also how racisms and inequalities have restricted access to housing, security and opportunity. When listened to in conjunction with the rest of the series this episode helps us to understand the significance of space in the lives of minoritised people and the trade offs that are made between living in the multicultural inner city, where interpersonal racism and the threat of racist organisations can be reduced, but other urban problems like underfunded public services, over policing and limited housing stock make life challenging in different ways. These experiences contrast in some ways with those living in Eltham and help us understand better the textures and choices black and brown families may have to make when considering where they live in the UK. With thanks to guests: Valcie, Hurley and Patrick Host: Dr Yusef Bakkali Dr Yusef Bakkali is a Legacy In Action Research Fellow at the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and grew up in the South London district of Brixton. Through education and later academia, Yusef found sociology equipped him with a language to diagnose and challenge social problems affecting himself and the community. Developing a research and teaching praxis focused around social justice and change, Yusef encourages students to develop critical skills, developing fresh perspectives to aid them in tackling the challenges, both of today and the future. Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter for Nello and the People’s Production LtdTwitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29040933

S1 E7: Solidarity with Suresh Grover, Shabna Begum and Karis Campion 12/12/2023

S1 E7: Solidarity with Suresh Grover, Shabna Begum and Karis Campion Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. Our bonus episode is a collaboration with our friends from the Sociological Review and our former colleague Dr Karis Campion. This episode was first released on the Sociological Review podcast in May 2023 In 1993, Black British teenager Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack that sparked a long fight for justice and led the UK to ask questions of itself and its institutions. Three decades on – with The Runnymede Trust’s Shabna Begum, and Suresh Grover of The Monitoring Group – Karis Campion of the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre hosts this special episode to ask: who are we now? What happened to anti-racist solidarity and how can it progress? Karis and guests reflect on the fragmentation of “political blackness”, “monitoring” as a radical act inspired by The Black Panther Party, and the importance of showing systemic racism while doing justice to individual lives. Plus: what does social media offer to anti-racism when the internet provides fertile ground for prejudice? And what are the costs of fighting for change in an unjust world? With reference to the activist writer Ambalavaner Sivanandan, the feminist scholar Audre Lorde, the social geographer Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and more. A collaboration between the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and The Sociological Review. Guests: Suresh Grover, Shabna Begum Host: Karis Campion Executive Producer: Alice Bloch Sound Engineer: David Crackles Music: Joe Gardner Artwork: Erin Aniker Find more about Uncommon Sense at . Episode Resources From Karis, Shabna and Suresh Karis’ work at Shabna’s book Suresh Further reading “Abolition Geography” – Ruth Wilson Gilmore “Another Day in the Death of America” – Gary Younge “Here to Stay, Here to Fight” – Paul Field, et al. (eds) “I Write What I Like” – Steve Biko “Policing the Crisis” – Stuart Hall, et al. “Race and Resistance” – Ambalavaner Sivanandan “The Uses of Anger” – Audre Lorde Online resources – The Runnymede Trust (this episode was recorded prior to this publication) – US National Archives – Sir William Macpherson Find out more about and the cases of , as well as the activist . And check out and , as well as . /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29041143

S1 E3: Race and Racism in the 1990s "Part Two", with Gus John and Adam Elliott-Cooper 12/12/2023

S1 E3: Race and Racism in the 1990s "Part Two", with Gus John and Adam Elliott-Cooper Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. In part two of the first episode, the conversation continues with Professor Gus John and Dr Adam Elliot Cooper joining SLRC Legacy In Action research fellow, Dr Fatima Rajina, to discuss the way Stephen Lawrence’s death stirred the nation in a way that changed the entire landscape of conversations around race relations throughout the 1990s. The most intriguing aspect of it all was how it was covered in the media, primarily print media. The discussion for this podcast focuses in on different clippings from the newspapers that covered the trial and the family in this decade. Hosted by: Dr Fatima Rajina Guests: Professor Gus John & Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper Dr Fatima Rajina is an SLRC Legacy In Action research fellow whose work focuses on British Bangladeshi Muslims and the changing landscape of race, dress and language. Recent publications have appeared in Sociology and Yearbook of Muslims in Europe. Professor Gus John is an academic and equality and human rights campaigner. He was instrumental in the setting up Black Saturday/supplementary schools in the 1960s and Britain’s first Black Director of Education in 1989. For over six decades, Professor Gus John has been campaigning for racial equality and has been a consistent voice in the commentary and activism on issues within the education sector in Britain’s inner cities. Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper is a Lecturer in Public and Social Policy at Queen Mary University of London. His first monograph, , was published by Manchester University Press in May 2021. Dr Elliott-Cooper is also co-author of published by Pluto Press, 2021. Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production LtdTwitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29036338

S1 E2: Race and Racism in the 1990s "Part One" with Gus John and Adam Elliott-Cooper 12/11/2023

S1 E2: Race and Racism in the 1990s "Part One" with Gus John and Adam Elliott-Cooper Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. In part one of the first episode Professor Gus John and Dr Adam Elliot Cooper join the SLRC Legacy In Action research fellow, Dr Fatima Rajina, to discuss the way Stephen Lawrence’s death stirred the nation in a way that changed the entire landscape of conversations around race relations throughout the 1990s. The most intriguing aspect of it all was how it was covered in the media, primarily print media. The discussion for this podcast will focus in on different clippings from the newspapers that covered the trial and the family in this decade. This episode is in two parts and will consider how the media landscape has changed since and what race conversations look like today. Guests: Professor Gus John, Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper Hosted by: Dr Fatima Rajina Dr Fatima Rajina is an SLRC Legacy In Action research fellow whose work focuses on British Bangladeshi Muslims and the changing landscape of race, dress and language. Recent publications have appeared in Sociology and Yearbook of Muslims in Europe. Professor Gus John is an academic and equality and human rights campaigner. He was instrumental in the setting up Black Saturday/supplementary schools in the 1960s and Britain’s first Black Director of Education in 1989. For over six decades, Professor Gus John has been campaigning for racial equality and has been a consistent voice in the commentary and activism on issues within the education sector in Britain’s inner cities. Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper is a Lecturer in Public and Social Policy at Queen Mary University of London. His first monograph, , was published by Manchester University Press in May 2021. Dr Elliott-Cooper is also co-author of Pluto Press, 2021. Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production LtdTwitter/X: Web: Web: Music: AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X: Join the mailing list by emailing Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29021673

S1 E1: Welcome to the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre Podcast 12/11/2023

S1 E1: Welcome to the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre Podcast Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language. To mark the 30th anniversary of the tragic racist murder of Stephen Lawrence on the 22 April 1993, in South East London in the UK, the SLRC have produced a podcast series in collaboration with Weyland Mckenzie-Witter to commemorate the monumental meaning and significance of this anniversary. The SLRC opened its doors in 2019 with the intention of being a uniquely positioned physical space in the UKHE landscape to study the politics of race and racisms in its many forms and guises. The SLRC is the current home of the Stephen Lawrence Exhibition and the Stephen Lawrence Archive. The archive was kindly loaned to De Montfort University by Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon, Stephen’s mother and former Chancellor of DMU and has inspired the conversations in this series in memory of Stephen. It is impossible to talk about race and racism in 1990s Britain without reference to the monumental impact of the Lawrence family’s fight for justice for their beloved son, and the publication of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report, often referred to as the Macpherson Report. Over the past 30 years, its easy to think that there is nothing more to be said about Stephen, his life and his family’s campaign for justice. However, this series of conversations have been collectively curated by the SLRC team to remind us all there is so much that has been left un-said and so much more for us to understand about the power of Stephen’s ongoing legacy. Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd Music by AyChibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove Design: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre: Twitter/X Join the mailing list by emailing © 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre /episode/index/show/a4e71465-b83f-4997-aec7-289ea136ec10/id/29025898

Race and Racism in our Modern World

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