This episode is dedicated to the memory of Shardaben Chandarana, the leader of the 1974 Imperial Typewriters Strike
The Imperial Typewriters Strike was a major and iconic event in the history of South Asia Trade Unionism in the United Kingdom. It comes within a broader history of struggle for recognition and social justice, racial discrimination, and attempts towards integration and dialogue.
Dr Fatima Rajina discusses the Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974 with Amrit Wilson and Professor Sundari Anitha…
More information on the strike, as well as visual documentation, is available from he National Archives: The Imperial Typewriters dispute – The National Archives
To place the strike within the history of South Asia political activism and for some first-hand accounts of the events, you can check out the extensive work of Amrit Wilson and Professor Sundari Anitha on the topic: Finding a Voice: Asian Women in Britain (Wakefield (Quebec, Canada): Daraja Press, 2019 (first edition 1978)); Amrit Wilson, Dreams, Questions, Struggles: South Asian Women in Britain (London: Pluto Press, 2006); Sundari Anitha and her collaborators is a key reference: Linda McDowell, Sundari Anitha and Ruth Pearson, (2014) ‘Striking Narratives: class, gender and ethnicity in the ‘Great Grunwick Strike’, London, UK, 1976–1978,’ Women’s History Review, 23-4 (2014), 595–619; Sundari Anitha and Ruth Pearson, Striking Women: Struggles & Strategies of South Asian Women Workers from Grunwick to Gate Gourmet (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 2018).
This shorter piece by Amrit Wilson can be a good place to start: “We are the lions, Mr. Manager”: Revisiting the Great Grunwick Strike | Ceasefire Magazine. For additional resources on South Asian women’s activism in trade unions, the resources made available on https://www.striking-women.org can provide guidance and insight. This comic book represents an excellent introduction to their resources: striking_women_for_download_opt.pdf (striking-women.org).
For a history of Western trade unionism within a global and transnational perspective: Ad Knotter, Transformations of Trade Unionism: Comparative and Transnational Perspectives on Workers Organizing in Europe and the United States, Eighteenth to Twenty-First Centuries (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018)
For a broader picture of the history and current state of South Asian trade union activism in the UK, we signal the activities of the Indian Workers Association of Great Britain: Indian Workers Association (G.B.) – (iwagb.org).
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
Twitter/X: @weylandmck
Web: weylandmck.com
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Music: AyChibs @Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
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Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom
© 2024, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the tragic racist murder of Stephen Lawrence on the 22 April 1993, in South East London in the UK, the SLRC have produced a podcast series in collaboration with Weyland Mckenzie-Witter to commemorate the monumental meaning and significance of this anniversary…
The SLRC opened its doors in 2019 with the intention of being a uniquely positioned physical space in the UKHE landscape to study the politics of race and racisms in its many forms and guises. The SLRC is the current home of the Stephen Lawrence Exhibition and the Stephen Lawrence Archive. The archive was kindly loaned to De Montfort University by Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon, Stephen’s mother and former Chancellor of DMU and has inspired the conversations in this series in memory of Stephen.
It is impossible to talk about race and racism in 1990s Britain without reference to the monumental impact of the Lawrence family’s fight for justice for their beloved son, and the publication of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report, often referred to as the Macpherson Report.
Over the past 30 years, its easy to think that there is nothing more to be said about Stephen, his life and his family’s campaign for justice. However, this series of conversations have been collectively curated by the SLRC team to remind us all there is so much that has been left un-said and so much more for us to understand about the power of Stephen’s ongoing legacy.
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
@weylandmck
weylandmck.com
nelloandthem.co.uk
Music by AyChibs
@Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
Design: Angy Ebrahim
Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:
www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc
Twitter/X @SLRC_DMU
Join the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk
© 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
In part one of the first episode Professor Gus John, Dr Adam Elliot Cooper and SLRC Legacy In Action research fellow, Dr Fatima Rajina, discuss the way Stephen Lawrence’s death stirred the nation in a way that changed the entire landscape of conversations around race relations throughout the 1990s…
The most intriguing aspect of it all was how it was covered in the media, primarily print media. The discussion for this podcast focuses in on different clippings from the newspapers that covered the trial and the family in this decade.
Guests: Professor Gus John, Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper
Hosted by: Dr Fatima Rajina
Professor Gus John is an academic and equality and human rights campaigner. He was instrumental in the setting up Black Saturday/supplementary schools in the 1960s and Britain’s first Black Director of Education in 1989. For over six decades, Professor Gus John has been campaigning for racial equality and has been a consistent voice in the commentary and activism on issues within the education sector in Britain’s inner cities.
Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper is a Lecturer in Public and Social Policy at Queen Mary University of London. His first monograph, Black Resistance to British Policing, was published by Manchester University Press in May 2021. Dr Elliott-Cooper is also co-author of Empire’s Endgame: Racism and the British State Pluto Press, 2021.
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
Twitter/X: @weylandmck
Web: weylandmck.com
Web: nelloandthem.co.uk
Music: AyChibs @Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
Design: Angy Ebrahim
Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:
www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc
Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMU
Join the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk
Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom
© 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
In part two of this episode, the conversation continues with Professor Gus John and Dr Adam Elliot Cooper joining SLRC Legacy In Action Research Fellow, Dr Fatima Rajina…
The conversation continues with Professor Gus John and Dr Adam Elliot Cooper joining SLRC Legacy In Action Research Fellow, Dr Fatima Rajina, to discuss the way Stephen Lawrence’s death stirred the nation in a way that changed the entire landscape of conversations around race relations throughout the 1990s. The most intriguing aspect of it all was how it was covered in the media, primarily print media. This episode considers how the media landscape has changed since then and what race conversations look like today.
Hosted by: Dr Fatima Rajina
Guests: Professor Gus John & Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper
Dr Fatima Rajina is an SLRC Legacy In Action research fellow whose work focuses on British Bangladeshi Muslims and the changing landscape of race, dress and language. Recent publications have appeared in Sociology and Yearbook of Muslims in Europe.
Professor Gus John is an academic and equality and human rights campaigner. He was instrumental in the setting up Black Saturday/supplementary schools in the 1960s and Britain’s first Black Director of Education in 1989. For over six decades, Professor Gus John has been campaigning for racial equality and has been a consistent voice in the commentary and activism on issues within the education sector in Britain’s inner cities.
Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper is a Lecturer in Public and Social Policy at Queen Mary University of London. His first monograph, Black Resistance to British Policing, was published by Manchester University Press in May 2021. Dr Elliott-Cooper is also co-author of Empire’s Endgame: Racism and the British State published by Pluto Press, 2021.
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
Twitter/X: @weylandmck
Web: weylandmck.com
Web: nelloandthem.co.uk
Music: AyChibs @Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
Design: Angy Ebrahim
Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:
www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc
Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMU
Join the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk
Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom
© 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
When Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993 to what extent did the media or academic scholarship explore or acknowledge the grief of Doreen Lawrence and other black mothers who were once again reminded of how unworthy society perceived them and the lives of their children?…
This episode, led by Rayann Bryan, explores the impact of Stephen’s murder on black mothers who may have felt some proximity to the grief and anguish of Baroness Lawrence. Claire Davis and her mother talk about their experience living and growing up in Eltham where Stephen was murdered. They reflect on the racial tensions and complexities of living in the area and how Stephen’s murder impacted them and the rest of the communities.
Guests: Claire Davis & Dahlia Davis
Hosted by: Rayann Bryan
Rayann Bryan is a PhD student at the University of Greenwich. Her doctoral research is focused on investigating how immigration to the UK in the Windrush era has created an intergenerational effect of racial melancholia and trauma for the mothers and daughters of Windrush
Rayann Bryan is also the founder and CEO of the Thelma Matilda Alves Foundation which is dedicated to addressing the prejudices and racism that inhibit black women from gaining access and working in the UK mental health sector, generational trauma and supporting women of African and Caribbean descent in their mental health and wellbeing journeys.
Rayann is currently the Equality Lead at the NHS Federation
Rayann Bryan’s article for gal-dem magazine that thinks through the idea of black universities in the UK.
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
Twitter/X: @weylandmck
Web: weylandmck.com
Web: nelloandthem.co.uk
Music: AyChibs @Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
Design: Angy Ebrahim
Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:
www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc
Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMU
Join the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk
Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom
© 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
In part one of this episode, Yusef Bakkali, Legacy in Action Research Fellow at the SLRC, is in conversation with Brixton residents Valcie, Hurley and Patrick. The discussion draws on experiences of life in Brixton…
Juxtaposing this with Rayann’s episode on life in Eltham in the UK in episode three, we hear about a neighbourhood where Black cultures are shared and celebrated, but also how racisms and inequalities have restricted access to housing, security and opportunity.
When listened to in conjunction with the rest of the series this episode helps us to understand the significance of space in the lives of minoritised people and the trade offs that are made between living in the multicultural inner city, where interpersonal racism and the threat of racist organisations can be reduced, but other urban problems like underfunded public services, over policing and limited housing stock make life challenging in different ways.
These experiences contrast in some ways with those living in Eltham and help us understand better the textures and choices black and brown families may have to make when considering where they live in the UK.
With thanks to guests: Valcie, Hurley and Patrick
Host: Dr Yusef Bakkali
Dr Yusef Bakkali is a Legacy In Action Research Fellow at the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and grew up in the South London district of Brixton. Through education and later academia, Yusef found sociology equipped him with a language to diagnose and challenge social problems affecting himself and the community. Developing a research and teaching praxis focused around social justice and change, Yusef encourages students to develop critical skills, developing fresh perspectives to aid them in tackling the challenges, both of today and the future.
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter for Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
Twitter/X: @weylandmck
Web: weylandmck.com
Web: nelloandthem.co.uk
Music: AyChibs @Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
Design: Angy Ebrahim
Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:
www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc
Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMU
Join the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk
Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom
© 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
In part two of this episode, Yusef Bakkali continues the conversation with Brixton residents Valcie, Hurley and Patrick…
The discussion draws on experiences of life in Brixton. Juxtaposing this with Rayann’s episode on life in Eltham in the UK, we hear about a neighbourhood where Black cultures are shared and celebrated, but also how racisms and inequalities have restricted access to housing, security and opportunity.
When listened to in conjunction with the rest of the series this episode helps us to understand the significance of space in the lives of minoritised people and the trade offs that are made between living in the multicultural inner city, where interpersonal racism and the threat of racist organisations can be reduced, but other urban problems like underfunded public services, over policing and limited housing stock make life challenging in different ways.
These experiences contrast in some ways with those living in Eltham and help us understand better the textures and choices black and brown families may have to make when considering where they live in the UK.
With thanks to guests: Valcie, Hurley and Patrick
Host: Dr Yusef Bakkali
Dr Yusef Bakkali is a Legacy In Action Research Fellow at the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and grew up in the South London district of Brixton. Through education and later academia, Yusef found sociology equipped him with a language to diagnose and challenge social problems affecting himself and the community. Developing a research and teaching praxis focused around social justice and change, Yusef encourages students to develop critical skills, developing fresh perspectives to aid them in tackling the challenges, both of today and the future.
Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter for Nello and the People’s Production Ltd
Twitter/X: @weylandmck
Web: weylandmck.com
Web: nelloandthem.co.uk
Music: AyChibs @Aychibs
Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove
Design: Angy Ebrahim
Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:
www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc
Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMU
Join the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk
Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom
© 2023, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
Content warning: May contain examples of extreme racist violence and language.
Our bonus episode is a collaboration with our friends from the Sociological Review and our former colleague Dr Karis Campion. This episode was first released on the Sociological Review podcast Uncommon Sense in May 2023…
In 1993, Black British teenager Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack that sparked a long fight for justice and led the UK to ask questions of itself and its institutions. Three decades on – with The Runnymede Trust’s Shabna Begum, and Suresh Grover of The Monitoring Group – Karis Campion of the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre hosts this special episode to ask: who are we now? What happened to anti-racist solidarity and how can it progress?
Karis and guests reflect on the fragmentation of “political blackness”, “monitoring” as a radical act inspired by The Black Panther Party, and the importance of showing systemic racism while doing justice to individual lives. Plus: what does social media offer to anti-racism when the internet provides fertile ground for prejudice? And what are the costs of fighting for change in an unjust world?
With reference to the activist writer Ambalavaner Sivanandan, the feminist scholar Audre Lorde, the social geographer Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and more.
A collaboration between the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and The Sociological Review.
Guests: Suresh Grover, Shabna Begum
Host: Karis Campion
Executive Producer: Alice Bloch
Sound Engineer: David Crackles
Music: Joe Gardner
Artwork: Erin Aniker
Find more about Uncommon Sense at The Sociological Review.
Episode Resources
From Karis, Shabna and Suresh
- Karis’ work at The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
- Shabna’s book “From Sylhet to Spitalfields”
- Suresh in conversation with Paul Gilroy
Further reading
- “Abolition Geography” – Ruth Wilson Gilmore
- “Another Day in the Death of America” – Gary Younge
- “Here to Stay, Here to Fight” – Paul Field, et al. (eds)
- “I Write What I Like” – Steve Biko
- “Policing the Crisis” – Stuart Hall, et al.
- “Race and Resistance” – Ambalavaner Sivanandan
- “The Uses of Anger” – Audre Lorde
Online resources
- Over-policed and under-protected: the road to Safer Schools – The Runnymede Trust
- The Baroness Casey Review (this episode was recorded prior to this publication)
- The Black Panther Party – US National Archives
- The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry – Sir William Macpherson
Find out more about Quddus Ali and the cases of Michael Menson, Ricky Reel, Rolan Adams and Rohit Duggal, as well as the activist Claudia Jones.
And check out The Monitoring Group and The Runnymede Trust, as well as The Stephen Lawrence Centre Archive.