28 years after Stephen Lawrence's murder, how far have we really come?

Today marks 28 years since the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which led to the landmark Macpherson Report on institutional racism. Runnymede's Unbound trainee, Bowale Fadare, interrogates how much has truly changed in Britain.

Today, we remember Stephen Lawrence

Remembering who Stephen Lawrence was.

Islamophobia: a problem rife across the political spectrum

Islamophobia isn't just something that manifests on the far-right – it is present in our political parties, our journalism and wider society. With Islamophobic hate crime on the rise, journalist Taj Ali says that we must confront the size of the problem, and take it more seriously.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed media discourse on immigration?

The UK is a hostile environment for migrants – as is its media. But when the pandemic struck, and papers across the political spectrum encouraged us to applaud migrant workers, it looked like sentiment might be shifting. Cameron Boyle, political correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, decided to investigate further.

More than a viral story: the people's struggle for the Suez Canal

What is the history of the Suez Canal? After it was blocked last month, it became a viral news story but Mohja Amer noticed a lack of acknowledgement of the canal's colonial history. This article goes into depth exploring just that.

How the War of Independence Forged a Culture of Resistance among British Bangladeshis

March 26th 2021 marks 50 years since the start of Bangladesh’s independence struggle, which rapidly turned into a genocide in which around 3 million people were killed. This war is rarely spoken of today and remains unacknowledged and forgotten by the international community. Dr Halima Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust, was born in rural Sylhet and raised in London’s East End, she tells us what today signifies for her and her family.

A struggle of memory: the history of the Bengali squatters movement

This month marks 45 years since the height of the Bengali squatters movement – yet accounts of Bengali housing activism have been overlooked and erased in the mainstream ever since. Today, PhD research student Shabna Begum remembers.

Decolonising history is not 'censorship' - in fact it is the opposite

A politician recently suggested that efforts to 'decolonise the curriculum' are a form of censorship. Considering the reality of censorship throughout British history, journalist Taj Ali explains why these statements are wrong.

March 13th Clapham Bandstand: an Anonymous Account

On Saturday 13th March 2021, a vigil was held in Clapham Common following the death of Sarah Everard. Unfortunately, scenes turned violent. An anonymous attendee gives us their eyewitness account.

Pontins and 'No Irish Need Apply': the prejudice that refuses to die

Professor Louise Ryan and Professor Don MacRaild, of the Centre for Global Diversities and Inequalities at London Metropolitan University, explain how Pontins institutional discrimination links to Britain's long history of anti-Irish and anti-Traveller discrimination.

The government is using its 'diverse' cabinet to deflect from racial inequality

The government has routinely attacked 'identity politics' – yet Boris Johnson's diverse cabinet is often held up as a beacon of representation. Journalist and former Ethnic Minorities Officer of Warwick Students' Union Taj Ali points out this contradiction and argues that Johnson's government must prioritise economics over optics.

The government must not use pseudo-science to dismiss Covid's impact on BME communities

The government has suggested, on more than one occasion, that different ethnic groups are naturally more susceptible to COVID-19. Runnymede's research analyst Adam Almeida explains why theories about vitamin D deflect from the real issue: structural inequality.

The weaponisation of the 'left-behind white working class'

The phrase 'left-behind white working class' is now a regular staple in government rhetoric around equality. But how accurate is the concept? Nick Treloar, dissects the use of the term, and argues that it is weaponised by the government. 

Students have called out institutional racism for decades. A new report confirms our experiences

University students have a long history of organising against racism on campus – but anti-racist action from the top-down has been slow. In light of a new report on racial harassment in higher education, journalist and former student representative Taj Ali lays out the state of things.

The true impact of the Jamaica 50 deportations

After the media flurry, Zita Holbourne, national chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC), documents the harrowing details of the Jamaica deportations and explains why the fight must continue.

The Stansted 15 appeal: a symbol of our right to protest in the UK

Back in 2017, a group of 15 activists made headlines when they halted a charter flight that would deport 60 people from the UK. After some were given suspended jail sentences, and others, community orders, the group are now appealing their convictions. Raoul Walawalker, feature writer at the Immigration Advice Service platform ImmiNews, explains the importance of their case and subsequent appeal.

Black history legacies: Claudia Jones

The fight isn't over for Elephant and Castle's Latin American community

Read all about London's Latin American communities fight to keep their communities un-gentrified and where the elephant and castle shopping centre fits into it.

Ethnic inequalities in Covid-19 are playing out again - how can we stop them?

New research by The Runnymede Trust and IPPR and co-authored by Dr Parth Patel (IPPR) and Alba Kapoor and Nick Treloar, Runnymede Trust's Policy Officer and Research Analyst respectively, has found that Covid is once again operating along racial lines.

Black History legacies: Stuart Hall

This Black History Month, the Race Matters blog is spotlighting people and movements that have played important roles in black British history, especially those whose contributions are often overlooked. This week, Acting Online Editor Micha Frazer-Carroll looks at the work of an academic, activist and cultural pioneer, Stuart Hall.

Why I'm taking legal action against the government's new school guidelines

The government recently introduced new guidelines for the teaching of Relationships and Sex Education – stating schools must not use materials from anti-capitalist groups, promote "victim narratives" or make certain accusations against state institutions. Marsha Garratt, an anti-racist researcher, educator and lecturer, explains why the Coalition of Anti-Racist Educators has launched legal action against the government to challenge the guidance.

So you've read a lot of books on anti-racism - now what?

Following Black Lives Matter, there's been a surge in interest in anti-racist literature – but what do you do once you've done all the reading? Banseka Kayembe, founder of Naked Politics, offers some pointers for allies in the struggle against racism.

Beyond Banglatown: the rich history of Brick Lanes curry restaurants

A new research project by Runnymede, in conjunction with the University of Manchester, sheds light on the rich history of Brick Lane's curry restaurants. Here, research associate Sundeep Lidher explains why the team have turned their findings into an educational resource that is accessible to all.

Speaking up: Anti-East Asian racism during Covid-19

A year of unprecedented events has led to more discussion about the structural racism experienced by different groups in the UK than we've had in a generation. Here, Claire Lee, a Reframer on the Reframing Race programme, explores her own experience of anti-East Asian racism, and considers where this fits in the context of the wider landscape of Black Lives Matter and widespread racial injustice.

There Then, Here Now: BME people & the NHS

Runnymede hosted a webinar on Windrush Day (22nd June) entitled There Then, Here Now: BME people and the NHS. Here, Runnymede’s Research and Policy Assistant Nick Treloar, summarises some highlights from the hour-long discussion.

The importance of heritage: black adopters needed

Children need a safe and loving home. When biological families are unable to provide it, looked-after children turn to the state to find one for them. Here, Grace Gomez of Parents and Children Together (PACT) explains the race factor that means black children, particularly, face greater barriers than others.

The case for a public inquiry into Covid-19 deaths

As pressure mounts on the government to provide not just evidence of the problem - but a plan for solutions, criminology doctoral student Carson Cole Arthur of Birkbeck University makes the case for a public inquiry into Covid-19.

7 Actions to Change the History Curriculum

Sundeep Lidher (historian & Runnymede's co-lead on Our Migration Story) and Hannah Elias (historian & Lecturer in Black British History at Goldsmiths) outline seven simple things you can do to change the history curriculum to include histories of migration, Black British experience and colonialism.

Sitting in Limbo: Windrush drama interview

Ahead of its premiere on the BBC on Monday, Runnymede's Lee Pinkerton interviews the writer of Sitting In Limbo, a drama showing the suffering at the heart of the Windrush scandal.

The race factor in access to green space

As we edge closer to the end of the lockdown conditions, one thing this unprecedented set of rules has taught us is the value of green space. Here, Beth Collier, a Nature Allied Psychotherapist and Director of Wild in the City outlines why green spaces and time in natural settings have always been vital to our mental and physical health, and how having less access to them has a significant impact on black and minority ethnic (BME) people in the UK.

Follow-up letter: Predicted grades & BME students

Following up on a previous open letter raising concerns about disadvantaged social and ethnic groups and the impact of predicted grades, Runnymede and more than a dozen other signatories (see full list below) sent this letter to the Education Minister today (29 April 2020).

The Colour of Money: race and economic inequality

Black and minority ethnic (BME) people in Britain face extensive and persistent economic inequality, finds Runnymede’s latest report The Colour of Money: How racial inequalities obstruct a fair and resilient economy. Runnymede Director and report author Dr Omar Khan outlines some of the findings, which entirely fit the current COVID-29 pandemic context.

State of the Nation: New comprehensive analysis on race in Britain

Just as the coronavirus pandemic shines a light on existing inequalities, Runnymede releases important deep analysis on race and racism in the UK. Here, Dr Omar Khan, Runnymede Director and co-author of the freely available book, outlines what you can expect to find in it.

Windrush: 10 urgent recommendations

Runnymede and 35 race equality, migrant rights and human rights organisations, and Windrush campaigners, wrote to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, outlining ten key recommendations to prioritise following the publication of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review in March 2020.

Open Letter: Predicted grades & BME students

Runnymede and others wrote to the Education Secretary amid concerns that certain groups, including BME students, may lose out due to existing racial disparities when predicted grades are accepted in place of exam results. See the full letter and list of signatories below; the open letter first appeared in the Times Education Supplement (TES) online.

Coronavirus will increase race inequalities

All any of us can think about at the moment is the coronavirus pandemic and how it will affect us, our families, wider communities and society as we know it. Here, our Deputy Director Dr Zubaida Haque looks at existing societal inequalities and how the impact of COVID-19 will affect black and minority ethnic communities given this context. 

Racism and the rise of populist movements

The link between racist narratives and the rhetoric of populist movements is often clear to the naked eye. But why is this connection so well established? As the rise of populism has dynamically changed the political landscape of so many countries, Professor of Sociology Ali Rattansi explores why the same old racist and xenophobic tropes are repeated the world over.

Hostile environment: Forced deportations resumed

As the government resumes its widely criticised programme of forced deportation by charter flights, Zita Holbourne, a human rights campaigner and National Chair of BARAC UK, makes the link between this inhumane practice and the Windrush injustice. 

Gypsies and Travellers: Worst changes for a decade

As the new government seeks to honour the Conservative election pledge to 'tackle unauthorised Traveller camps' Emma Nuttall of Friends, Families and Travellers urges you to fill in this consultation, which may otherwise result in some of the worst changes the community has seen for a decade.

Race Equality in the 2019 General Election Manifestos

Ahead of the General Election on December 12, 2019, Runnymede's Nick Treloar lays out the pledges relating to race equality and those directly impacting black and minority ethnic (BME) communities made in the major national parties' manifestos.

Remembering ALL our war heroes

In this month of remembrance, Amber Khan recalls tales of her late grandfather, Noor Alam, who, although he did not have a white face and never fought in Europe, was typical of a class of soldier that helped Britain win the defining wars of the 20th century.

Mayflower turns 400: Sanitising History?

Ahead of Thanksgiving this year, Danny Reilly of the Mayflower Mavericks writes a timely reminder why teaching history must be more than a story we accept, but a reflection of the reality.

3 things to unite our communities

As part of Runnymede and CLASS think tank's #ReclaimTheAgenda campaign, 20 year-old Lisa Eigbadon, from RECLAIM, a leadership organisation supporting working class young people in Manchester, shares her thoughts on how to practically unite communities.

Event report: Reporting Racism

Following an event in parliament last week (Thursday 24 October 2019) called by Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Dawn Butler MP, Runnymede Research and Policy Assistant Nick Treloar has written this record of the rich discussion on the day.

Black British Coal Miners: Significance and Sacrifice

Historian and exhibition creator Norma Gregory's work shines a light on the unrecognised contributions, experiences and histories of Black British coal miners. As part of Runnymede and CLASS thinktank's #ReclaimTheAgenda campaign, Norma writes about the importance of documenting and recognising hundreds of African Caribbean men who are largely ignored by mainstream social history.

Race & Class: It's time to #ReclaimTheAgenda

This week the Runnymede Trust and the Centre for Labour and Social Studies are running #ReclaimTheAgenda, a social media campaign focusing on overcoming ‘divide and rule’ rhetoric. Such language has long fuelled prejudice and oppression of migrant and black and minority ethnic (BME) people while distracting us from addressing the issues affecting UK’s diverse working class. Brexit is an obvious example. Here Runnymede's Research Analyst Laurie Mompelat introduces the campaign.

Helen Hayes MP: 'Black history is central to the making of Britain'

On October 23, 2019 Runnymede and Helen Hayes MP are organising a photo call in parliament with MPs showing their support for Black history to be taught in schools all year round and not just during Black History Month. Here, Helen Hayes explains why she believes teaching Black history, migration and Empire in schools is important.

Boris Johnson's Brexit Deal harms ethnic minorities

What does it mean to be British?

Dr Zubaida Haque explores what it means to be British following Shamima Begum being stripped of citizenship.

Liberté Égalité Fraternité: But not for Muslim Women

As the French state and citizens' targeting of Muslim women shows little signs of decline, our (French) Research and Policy Assistant Nick Treloar examines the thinking behind linking this form of islamophobia to a cornerstone of French democracy - 'laïcité' (secularism).

'No deal' Brexit is bad news for UK's 8m BME people

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to brandish the unwelcome prospect of an exit from the European Union with no agreed relationship to take its place, Runnymede Deputy Director Dr Zubaida Haque shifts the focus to black and ethnic minority communities in the UK. The 8 million BME Brits might have been at the sharp end of an increase in racist violence and abuse following the Brexit vote, but their collective voices are yet to be heard.

Action, not theory: Diversity in creative industries

Professor Sarita Malik, Project Lead on the Creative Interruptions project (with which Runnymede has collaborated) suggests that a new, radical system is needed to tackle the gap between diversity in policy and diversity in practice in the cultural and creative industries.

Please don't politicise the police: Open letter to Priti Patel

More than 20 signatories representing race equality organisations have sent an open letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Open Letter to Boris: Maintain Race Disparity Unit

One Nation Boris? Not for black or Asian Londoners

Don't take the bait: public discourse and racism

False fears of 'white flight' in London and elsewhere

A look into the myth of white British people taking 'flight' from areas where ethnic minorities are no longer the minority.

Theresa May failed to douse 'burning injustice' of race inequality

A veiw of Theresa May's performance through the lense of race inequality.

Open Letter on Islamophobia

Our Web Resource Wins Guardian University Award

Research subjects or co-creators? Making public outreach count

Connecting the dots: structural racism in 2019

Three steps to make higher education more inclusive

International Women's Day 2019: What did you do?

Home Office found 'Guilty' after mock trial

Arts and Resistance in a Hostile World

An unlikely source of empowerment for black students?

Racism and integration in the workplace

The history of slavery is a local - as well as a global - issue

Reflections on Mexico 1968

Runnymede's Director on Government's race equality announcement

50 years on: the Race Relations Act and the Runnymede Trust

Faith to Faithless: The hidden suffering of apostates in the UK

The Africa I expected vs. the Africa I saw

A creative clap back to racism in the arts

Why we need to talk about slavery

Windrush is Us

Home Office failing LGBTQI asylum seekers

Six steps to improve race equality in our mental health services

Supporting ambition creativity and leadership in BME communities

100 years after the first women got the vote, the fight for true equality goes on

Three things wrong with Cambridge University's statement on diversity

2011 Runnymede comments on 'gangs' and the UK riots

Windrush Speech by His Excellency Guy Hewitt Barbados High Commissioner

Intending not to discriminate isn't enough

Decision-makers must tackle their isolation from black and migrant communities

Listening to the Windrush generation about our past

British Citizenship and the Windrush generation

Government under pressure over treatment of Windrush kids

Integration is not a one way process

International Women's Day - how far have we come?

Bridging the BME pension-gap with lessons from home

Cheddar Man man exposes 19th Century ideas of race in modern Britain

Chancellor must ensure his budgets don't discriminate

Understanding Muslim students

A Sivanandan: In Memoriam

Under the Radar: ethnic minority women in the labour market

Revisiting A.Sivanandan

Artificial intelligence and racial bias: Can robots be racist?

Loneliness and older people from BME groups