Permanent Racism: Race, Class and the Myth of Postracial Britain

Racism has no place in our society, we are told. In fact, its role is crucial but today public debate on race and racism in Britain is constrained by a facile postracialism. Its features are colourblind social narratives, an ‘anti-antiracist’ discourse and the erasure of Black and Brown working class identities. This book examines and challenges the marginalisation of critical race analyses in contemporary debates on social justice. It reconceptualises Critical Race Theory from a British standpoint, foregrounding the concept of ‘permanent racism’ and its importance in understanding race as a fully social relationship. Highlighting the need to decolonise public debates and to decolonise antiracism itself, this book provides an essential resource for academics, students and activists who wish to understand public debates on racism, social class, education and social policy.