Institute for Race Relations: Research, Publications, and Advocacy
The Institute for Race Relations (IRR) serves as a critical hub for the study and analysis of racism, empire, and globalisation. Through a combination of academic publishing, targeted research reports, and real-time news monitoring, the IRR works to document the systemic nature of racial inequality and provide educational resources that challenge institutional biases.
Key Facts
- Race & Class is a quarterly journal published by the IRR through Sage Publications.
- The IRR produces ad hoc research on pressing issues such as police conduct, school exclusions, and migrant deaths.
- The European Race Audit, established in 1992, monitors far-right growth and anti-immigration trends across Europe.
- IRR News provides a free, daily-updated service focusing on racism and refugee experiences in the UK.
- The organization maintains a Black History Collection of journals and ephemera from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Academic Contributions and the Race & Class Journal
At the heart of the IRR's intellectual output is Race & Class, a quarterly journal dedicated to exploring the intersections of racism, empire, and globalisation. The publication has been shaped by a distinguished Editorial Board featuring prominent intellectuals and activists, including Edward Said, Manning Marable, Cedric Robinson, and Eqbal Ahmad, among others such as John Berger, Victoria Brittain, and Chris Searle.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Research Reports and Pamphlets
The IRR conducts targeted research to address urgent societal issues. A significant portion of this work focuses on institutional racism—the systemic failure of organizations to provide professional and fair service to people based on their race. Early influential works include Race, Class and the State (1976) and From Immigration Control to Induced Repatriation (1978).
The IRR has also provided critical evidence to government bodies. In 1979, the report Police Against Black People was submitted to the Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure, highlighting the police's failure to view Black citizens as part of the community requiring consent for policing. This work was later updated in 1987 as Policing Against Black People.
More recent research has expanded to cover contemporary security and civil rights issues, such as the 2009 report Spooked! How not to prevent violent extremism, which analyzed government counter-terrorism programs, and the 2008 publication Integration, Islamophobia and Civil Rights in Europe.
Promoting Black History and Education
Since the 1980s, the IRR has prioritized the study of Black and anti-racist history to better inform the education of young people. This effort includes a series of pamphlets documenting the experiences of Black communities in the UK, such as Southall: the birth of a black community (1981) and Newham: the forging of a black community (1991).
To make this history accessible, the IRR developed illustrated materials like Roots of Racism and Patterns of Racism. They have also utilized multimedia tools, including the 1997 CD-Rom Homebeats: struggles for racial justice and a DVD featuring documentaries on the history of Leicester, Cardiff, Southall, and Ladbroke Grove.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]The European Race Audit
Since 1992, the IRR has expanded its scope through the European Race Audit. This initiative tracks the rise of far-right parties, anti-immigration movements, and racial violence across the continent. While the European Race Bulletin was a print magazine until 2009, it has since evolved into online briefing papers and downloadable reports.
These reports focus on critical modern challenges, including xeno-racism (racism directed at foreigners regardless of their specific ethnic origin), the increase in deportations, human rights abuses at European borders, and the challenges facing multiculturalism.
IRR News: Real-Time Monitoring
The IRR maintains a daily-updated free news service, IRR News. This platform serves as a vital national information source, providing news stories, features, and event listings regarding the impact of racism and the experiences of refugees in the UK. The service integrates contributions from staff and volunteers with links to official reports and media sources.
| Programme | Primary Focus | Key Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Race & Class | Academic analysis of racism and empire | Quarterly Journal |
| Research & Reports | Institutional racism and state policy | Pamphlets, Royal Commission evidence |
| Black History | Educational resources on Black UK history | Illustrated pamphlets, DVD, CD-Rom |
| European Race Audit | Far-right trends and European migration | Online briefing papers, reports |
| IRR News | Daily monitoring of racism and refugees | Free daily news service |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Race & Class journal?
Race & Class is a quarterly academic journal published by the IRR and Sage Publications that examines the complex relationships between racism, empire, and globalisation.
How has the IRR contributed to policing reform?
The IRR provided evidence to the Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure through reports like Police Against Black People (1979), which detailed the systemic failure of police to engage with Black communities.
What is xeno-racism?
Xeno-racism is a term highlighted in the European Race Audit reports referring to racism directed at foreigners or migrants, often regardless of their specific ethnic or racial background.
What educational resources does the IRR provide for Black history?
The IRR provides illustrated pamphlets (such as Roots of Racism), multimedia tools like the Homebeats CD-Rom, and a physical Black History Collection available for consultation by appointment.
What does the European Race Audit monitor?
The Audit traces emerging patterns of racism in Europe, including the growth of far-right political parties, anti-immigration movements, and government policies regarding race and policing.