It has been said

'Britain has changed since 1976. The country has passed through a period of major economic and social transformation, which has affected the development of racial equality policy and practice. Racial  discrimination has persisted and, in some cases, emerged in key areas of social and economic life. British society has failed to deliver equality of opportunity and social inclusion to people from ethnic minorities. These failures are illustrated by incidents such as the failure of the Metropolitan Police to investigate properly the murder of Stephen Lawrence, thus highlighting the continuing problem of ‘institutional racism’. (Clarke and Speeden 2001)

The contents of the folders below give some substance to this statement.  For example, the Cabinet Office report points out that 'all ethnic minority groups - even those enjoying relative success, such as the Indians and Chinese - are not doing as well as they should be, given their education and other characteristics.' (CO 2003:4).  In the various linked  documents and resources given, you will find stastics and narrative that suggest  minority ethnic groups continue to be disadvantaged despite the passing of the original Race Relations Act (1976).

• Clarke, J. & Speeden, S. (2001) Then and now:change for the better
• Cabinet Office (2003) Ethnic minorities and the labour market

Some context to the challenge of mainstreaming racial equality

A contribution that considers some key research findings from various studies and reflects on their implications for mainstreaming racial equality. Together the studies provide context that addresses the question of why do we need legislation in respect of race/ethnicity.

Education

Evidence on the educational achievement of those from ethnic minority backgrounds reveals persistant patterns of both excellence and under-achievement. This section starts to examine the sources of evidence, possible explanations and the limitations of these data.

Employment

There are marked variations in the economic activity and employment patterns of the ethnic groups in Great Britain. Evidence indicates that ethnic minority groups have lower rates of labour market participation; suffer higher rates of unemployment than white people; are more likely to be self-employed. This section considers these patterns.

Over-arching themes

Understanding the broader picture - this section contains background stastical information and resources relating to attitudes around race/ethnicity.