"This life-changing, socially transformative analysis of the racist microaggressions, stereotypes and policies that perpetuate inequality is a vital must-read."
Professor of Social Policy and Race at King's College London, and an esteemed expert on racial justice, Nicola Rollock’s The Racial Code - Tales of Resistance and Survival presents a must-read evaluation of the lived experiences of racism in contemporary Britain, with a powerful analysis of the scaffolding that perpetuates racism. Written with scholarly clarity and writerly style, this book is life-changing.
From successful Black professionals being mistaken for waiting staff at high profile networking events, to Black diversity board members being ignored when they raise issues about unfair recruitment processes, to foul experiences at staff parties, The Racial Code exposes the strain, pain and myriad costs of being forced to navigate racism on a daily basis. From her extensive research, Rollock has created powerful personal counternarratives that cut to the core of those lived experiences, as do the potent bullet-pointed “Surviving Babylon”, “Black Mother’s Guide to Black Sons Everywhere”, and “white person’s guide to preserving racism in the modern age” lists.
Each of the counternarratives are followed by a dissection of what happened, why it happened, and the responses of the wronged and those in power. Each of them also exposes the framework that upholds racism, white power and white privilege, and confronts the detracting, defensive and hostile responses that are typically levelled at those who expose the “foundational principles of the racial code” – responses like “you always make it about race”, “it’s racist to call white people white”, “you hate white people”, and “it’s really about class”.
As Rollock points out, while “we must have hope”, hope and the notion of having made “progress” and “change” must not serve as placating tools – before change can happen, the realities of racism must be acknowledged and analysed. With that in mind, the experiences and analysis presented in The Racial Code make it absolutely essential.
'This is a book for the future: it gives us exactly the tools we need to dismantle racial injustice in our society' Baroness Doreen Lawrence 'A powerful, salient and gracefully written study of the corrosive dynamics of race in Britain from a trusted voice on the subject. We can all benefit from reading it' Diana EvansMiles, a successful lawyer, is mistaken for the waiter at a networking event. Femi is on the verge of breakdown having been consistently overlooked for promotion at her university. Nigel's emails, repeatedly expressing concern about his employer's forthcoming slavery exhibition, are ignored. Carol knows she can't let herself relax at the work Christmas party...This is racism. It is not about the overt acts of random people at the fringes of society. It's about the everyday. It's the loaded silence, the throwaway remark, the casual comment or a 'joke' in the workplace.It's everything.The Racial Code is an unprecedented examination of the hidden rules of race and racism that govern our lives and how they maintain the status quo. Interweaving narrative with research and theory, acclaimed expert Nicola Rollock uniquely lays bare the pain and cost of navigating everyday racism -- and compels us to reconsider how to truly achieve racial justice.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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'This is a book for the future: it gives us exactly the tools we need to dismantle racial injustice in our society' Baroness Doreen Lawrence 'A powerful, salient and gracefully written study of the corrosive dynamics of race in Britain from a trusted voice on the subject. We can all benefit from reading it' Diana EvansMiles, a successful lawyer, is mistaken for the waiter at a networking event.
The Racial Code features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Mind, body, spirit, Social discrimination and social justice, Political science and theory, Ethnic groups and multicultural studies, Human rights, civil rights, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Health & Fitness, Social and ethical issues, Society and culture: general, Society and Social Sciences, Politics and government, Ethnic studies, Social groups, communities and identities, Political control and freedoms, Star Books, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback. £9.89, down from the £10.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Racial Code was written by Nicola Rollock and published by Penguin Books an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
The Racial Code has 272 pages
£9.89, reduced from £10.99. In Stock.
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