Anti-Racism in Action: Scholarship, Practice and Collective Struggle for Race Equity Across Institutions and Society.

Introduction 

This special issue aims to advance interdisciplinary scholarship and practice on anti-racism as a transformative force across higher education, organisations, and wider society. It seeks to bridge theory and practice by foregrounding research, lived experience, and creative expression that interrogate and challenge structural racism. The issue will bring together contributions that examine anti-racism at micro, meso, and macro levels, aligning with the journal’s focus on processes of diversification and inequality. It aims to amplify marginalised voices, showcase evidence-informed interventions, and foster collective, action-oriented responses to racial injustice. Through diverse methodologies and formats, the issue will provide critical insights, practical tools, empirical research, case studies and conceptual frameworks to support institutional and societal change toward race equity and social justice.

This special issue is distinctive in positioning anti-racism as both an analytical framework and a praxis-oriented project grounded in collective struggle. It moves beyond descriptive accounts of inequality to foreground action, resistance, and transformation. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, including Critical Race Theory, decolonial thought, and social justice pedagogies, it integrates scholarship with practice, activism, and creative methodologies. The issue also expands traditional academic boundaries by valuing multiple ways of knowing, including lived experience and creative expression, in line with emerging calls for epistemic justice. By explicitly linking institutional practices with broader societal dynamics such as racial capitalism, migration, and far-right politics, the issue offers a multi-scalar analysis of race equity. This approach provides an innovative contribution to the field by connecting theory, practice, and collective action.

The special issue responds to urgent and globally significant developments, including the rise of the far right, increasing racial inequalities, contested debates around migration, and backlash against diversity and inclusion initiatives. Within higher education, persistent awarding gaps, experiences of racialised exclusion, and challenges to academic freedom highlight the need for sustained anti-racist interventions. At the same time, there is growing demand for evidence-based approaches that move beyond symbolic commitments to meaningful structural change. This issue aligns with expanding scholarly and policy debates on race equity, social justice, and institutional accountability. It also responds to increasing calls for interdisciplinary and transnational perspectives on inequality. By engaging with contemporary research, policy, and activism, the special issue provides a timely and necessary platform for critical dialogue and transformative scholarship

This special issue directly addresses pressing societal challenges related to racial inequality, social justice, and institutional accountability. It contributes to advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by examining how intersecting forms of inequality are produced and challenged across different contexts. The issue aims to generate impact beyond academia by informing policy, practice, and community engagement. Contributions will provide actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and practitioners working to embed anti-racist approaches within institutions and society. By fostering dialogue between scholars, practitioners, students, and communities, the issue supports knowledge exchange and collective action. It also seeks to challenge dominant narratives, promote inclusive and equitable practices, and contribute to building more just and diverse societies.

List of Topic Areas

• Anti-racist practice and race equity in education, organisations, and society
• The awarding gap and differential outcomes
• Identity and Belonging
• Racial capitalism, far-right politics, and migration
• Academic freedom, institutional power, and racialised governance
• Creative, lived experience, and community-led approaches to anti-racism.

Guest Editors 

Dr Syra Shakir, Leeds Trinity University, [email protected]

Dr Sean Walton, Leeds Trinity University, [email protected]

Lewis Miles Berry,  Leeds Trinity University, [email protected]

Sophie Bannister, Leeds Trinity University, [email protected]

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: ScholarOne Manuscripts 

Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: Diverse Societies | Emerald Publishing

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Please input the key dates that have been agreed with the publisher. If the opening date is applicable, please include it.

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 1st September 2026

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 31st December 2026