Race Critical Public Scholarship – pursuing justice in austere times

The climate of so-called austerity is hardening inequalities, including institutional racism, and has facilitated a resurgence of overtly racist political parties and a troubling renewal of  popular racism across Europe and beyond. In recent decades, there has been an implication that engaged scholarship in the field of race equality should address the state – perhaps by providing better evidence for policy or critiquing existing interventions. Yet in the present context of cutbacks and competition for the most basic of services, there seems little opportunity to engage officialdom in this way.

This workshop considers what scholars may be able to contribute to the wider struggle against racial injustice in such times. Contributors include Nira Yuval-Davis, Steve Garner, Max Farrar, Michael Keith, Bridget Byrne, Nasar Meer, Ronit Lentin, Les Back and John Solomos.

The event also acts as a launch and public engagement event for the special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies, ‘Race Critical Public Scholarship’, edited by Karim Murji and Gargi Bhattacharyya.

Free access to the Introduction available here.

Other papers in the special issue are online.