#BlackLivesMatter – beyond the hashtag

28th January 2020

Black lives matter (BLM) is a global activist movement that campaigns against racism, discrimination, and violence towards black people.

The movement began in 2013 after the killing of an innocent African-American teenager Trayvon Martin. This caused outrage among the black community, not only in the US but around the world. At the time the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was created to share the protest on social media, causing global headline news.

This UK Black History Month, things are different. Racism has emerged more so now than ever, from inequalities in the effects of the pandemic, to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the USA. Here in the UK people are beginning to have much-needed conversations about the experiences of Black British people and the anti-Black racism that runs through our national story.

On this page...

Alongside the lived experiences of people of colour, research has a vital role to play in our conversations about race, this UK Black History month and beyond. We've gathered several freely accessible resources including journals, book chapters, and blogs all of which explore the evidence of anti-black racism which appears within contexts such as education, workplace, and healthcare.

If you are working on related research that can help tackle anti-black racism, or if you would like to contribute to the content featured on this page, please get in touch.

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UK Black History Month free research

The UK is not innocent

Racism is endemic and pervasive in the UK context, manifesting at every level of policing.

 

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Turning points in race relations in the United Kingdom

Race discrimination at work in the United Kingdom remains intact.

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Black people disproportionately diagnosed with a mental illness

The over representation of black men in both the criminal justice and mental health systems also serve to maintain the equilibrium of oppressor/oppressed, privilege/disadvantage.

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People of mixed-race deserve to be represented and identified

For mixed-race civil society, the struggle for the right to identity has led to contesting the social meaning of race as previously impose by government bodies.

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Race is no longer prioritised on the mental health care agenda

Research into the mental health needs of black men has been conducted repeatedly in the UK, with each new generation hopeful for change.

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UK's new box did not end the "nightmare" for all mixed-race people

Mixed-race people in the US and UK still have concerns over how (or whether) to record their racial identities on forms.

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Black boys in the UK comprise the largest proportion of young people who have been excluded from secondary schools

An examination of the intervention strategies that have been used by Excell3 in its attempts to raise the level of academic performance in Black boys.

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Black people are in a state of extreme psychological and physiological crises

The current piece summarises five critical points about racism from the point of view of Black scholars and allies.

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We now boldly call for organisations and scholars to demonstrate their valuing of Black lives

The purpose of this essay is to highlight the urgent need for antiracism resource generation in organisations today.

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Webinar

Webinar imageFrom being idolised to stacking shelves: Race and retirement in professional football

Webinar logosIn this event, we look at the post-professional lives of black footballers and how their experiences before, during and after the game have been informed and complicated by race. This event marks UK Black History month and celebrates the publication of "Education, Retirement and Career Transitions for 'Black' Ex-Professional Footballers" by Dr Paul Campbell.

Chair and panellists: 
Dr Paul Ian Campbell, University of Leicester
Prof Ben Carrington, University of Southern California
Dr Natalie Darko, University of Leicester
Ms Anika Leslie-Walker, Manchester Metropolitan University

Watch the webinar here

Our podcasts

Lockdown six months on: how COVID-19 & Black Lives Matter have changed our working lives

We talk to Professor Jonathan Wilson how we’ve responded to COVID-19 and BlackLivesMatter, and where we might need to go next to address racism within our organisations and institutions.

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Inequalities in mental health care for black communities

We speak to Karen Carberry, consultant Family Therapist at Orri and Dr Ted Ransaw, from Michigan State University about inequalities in mental healthcare for black communities.

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Race, education & retirement in professional football

We join Dr Paul Campbell to discuss his research into the experiences of ex-professional black footballers transitioning from sport to mainstream careers.

Listen to the podcast

Our latest blogs

In Their Words – What It Means to be Black in Durham

The tragic, senseless and untimely death of George Floyd has caused many to question, “Do Black Lives matter? Do Black students matter?” We have reached a point of discourse in our nation where the question about the value of Black life has been expressed through protests and outrage.

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Decolonising the business curriculum in the era of Black Lives Matter

During these uncertain times, we are calling for scholars and practitioners alike to continue efforts to champion change in the world as it relates to respecting Black lives (and minds).

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America cannot be great when Black lives do not matter

Images of violent police clashes with protestors from Los Angeles to Atlanta, and Minneapolis in between, can easily be mistaken as riots in any failed state. Yet these horrific images are from the very streets of America.

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Educating ourselves: ten quotes from researchers exploring issues around race

Charlie Rapple has explored content in the Kudos platform relating to systemic/ institutionalised racism, white privilege, and related topics. She shares some shocking, thought-provoking, enlightening, and sobering examples.

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Black Lives Matter: our commitment

The team at Emerald have been taking some time to reflect on recent events and our response. We believe that Black lives matter, today and every day, and that injustice and intolerance must end.

View our statement

Related books

Visit our online bookstore to see all our latest publications.

For 30% off these books enter code BLM at the checkout.

Mixed-Race in the US and UK: Comparing the Past, Present, and Future

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Education, Retirement and Career Transitions for 'Black' Ex-Professional Footballers: 'From being idolised to stacking shelves'

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Leadership of Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A what not to do Guide for HBCU Leaders

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Black Mixed-Race Men: Transatlanticity, Hybridity and 'Post-Racial' Resilience

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Related topics

Racism & ethnic discrimination

We'll be regularly sharing new content focusing on some of the key barriers to being an inclusive society for all, which were uncovered in our Global inclusivity report.

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The power of diverse voices

As a global publisher, Emerald represents researchers from diverse communities across more than 100 countries.

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Equality & people

Our initiatives aim to reduce inequalities, paying attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised populations.

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Interested in publishing in this area?

Whether you have a journal article, book or chapter, or want to find out about publishing open access, fill in the form and we will get in touch with you to discuss your research further. We look forward to hearing from you.

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