Episodes

  • S1 E1: Welcome to the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre Podcast

    S1 E1: Welcome to the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre Podcast
    Dec 11 2023

    Click here to listen to the full Stephen Lawrence Research Centre Podcast Series

    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
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    4 mins
  • S2 E1: The Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974: The South Asian Diaspora in the UK, Trade Unionism, and the Struggle for Social Justice

    S2 E1: The Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974: The South Asian Diaspora in the UK, Trade Unionism, and the Struggle for Social Justice
    May 23 2024
    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 Asian 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. In this episode Dr Fatima Rajina is joined by Amrit Wilson and Professor Sundari Anitha as they discuss the Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974. More information on the strike, as well as visual documentation, is available from the 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 Web: nelloandthem.co.uk Music: AyChibs @Aychibs Image: And Still She Rises by Marcus Dove Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMUJoin the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2024, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • S2 E2: Migration, Marginalisation and Mobilisation: Leicester's South Asian Diaspora and Labour Rights Activism

    S2 E2: Migration, Marginalisation and Mobilisation: Leicester's South Asian Diaspora and Labour Rights Activism
    Mar 31 2025
    Leicester is home to a large South Asian community and often praised for being one of the most diverse cities in the UK - presented as a model of multicultural integration. However, labour exploitation strongly impacts the poorer demographics in the city, especially people with a recent history of migration that are employed in garment manufacturing. In May 2024, we dedicated an episode of our podcast to the Imperial Typewriters Strike of 1974 to mark the 50th anniversary of this seminal event in the political history of the South Asian diaspora in the UK and of Leicester's trade union movement. The following September, Francesco Sani moderated a roundtable of activists and trade unionists to understand what has changed in the city and what has stayed the same. Drawing from their experience of community and political activism, our guests Kaenat Yussufo (Labour Behind the Label), Shaista Jakhura (Panahghar) and Tom Barker (A Unison trade unionist from Ashfield Academy, Leicester) unpack the major dynamics that have led to the current state of affairs. For more information on Labour Behind the Label: https://labourbehindthelabel.org. You can read Labour Behind the Label's 2020 report on Boohoo here: https://labourbehindthelabel.org/report-boohoo-covid-19-the-people-behind-the-profit. For info about the campaigns Labour Behind the Label is currently engaged in: https://labourbehindthelabel.org/good-jobs-for-garment-workers (Petition in support of Leicester garment workers); https://labourbehindthelabel.org/supermarkets-back-leicester (ASDA, Tesco, M&S: support UK garment workers!). For more info on Panahghar: https://www.safehouse.org.uk For more information on the history of the Ashfield Academy trade dispute: https://socialistalternative.info/2024/03/20/new-socialist-alternative-publication-how-workers-can-win-lessons-from-the-strike-victory-at-ash-field-academy The text quoted in the podcast comes from Giulio Palermo, "Counter-power: a Marxist View— An Ontological Enquiry" Cambridge Journal of Economics 48-5 (September 2024), 843–868. For some additional perspectives on political activism, labour rights and decolonisation in the UK context: Preeti Dhillon, The Shoulders We Stand On: How Black and Brown People Fought for Change in the United Kingdom (London: Dialogue Books, 2023); Adam Elliott-Cooper, "Abolishing institutional racism" Race & Class 65-1 (April 2023), 100-118. We also recommend the blog series Decolonising Economics: https://developingeconomics.org/blog-series-decolonising-economics. Guests: Tom Barker, Shaista Jakhura, Kaenat Yussufo Host: Francesco Sani Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People's Production LtdTwitter/X: @weylandmck Web: weylandmck.comWeb: nelloandthem.co.uk Music: AyChibs @AychibsImage: And Still She Rises by Marcus DoveDesign: Angy Ebrahim Stay connected with the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre:www.dmu.ac.uk/slrc Twitter/X: @SLRC_DMUJoin the mailing list by emailing slrc@dmu.ac.uk Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom © 2025 Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • S2 E3: The Coconuts Trial with Marieha Hussain

    S2 E3: The Coconuts Trial with Marieha Hussain
    Nov 24 2025

    In this episode, Dr Fatima Rajina is joined by Marieha Hussain to talk about her experience of the Coconuts trial. A case that saw the political activist being charged with, and eventually proven innocent of, a racially aggravated public order offence for showcasing a satirical placard labelling Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as "coconuts" prompting the fundamental question "Who has the right to police your language"?…

    In November 2023, Marieha was arrested for displaying a placard labelling prominent exponents of the then-Tory government as "coconuts" during a pro-Palestine protest. According to the charges put on her, the term coconut was equivalent to a racist slur. Yet, Black and Brown activists have historically used it to call out members of their communities who aligned with colonial powers and white supremacists.

    Read the background and outcome of the Coconuts case here: 'Coconuts' trial: Woman acquitted over Palestine protest placard | Middle East Eye
    *By including the above external links the SLRC are not endorsing any content accessible through these links and are meant for further information only.

    Hosted by Dr Fatima Rajina

    Guest: Marieha Hussain

    Dr Fatima Rajina is an SLRC Legacy In Action Senior Research Fellow whose work focuses on race, dress and language. Recent publications have appeared in Sociology, The Sociological Review and Identities. Dr Rajina's book British Bangladeshi Muslims in the East End is available from Manchester University Press.

    Marieha Hussain is psychology teacher, mother, and Palestine activist.

    Produced by Weyland McKenzie-Witter at Nello and the People's Production Ltd
    Twitter/X: @weylandmck
    Web: weylandmck.com
    Web: nelloandthem.co.uk
    LinkedIn: Weyland McKenzie-Witter

    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
    LinkedIn: Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
    Join the SLRC mailing list here:

    Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. United Kingdom

    © 2025 - Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
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    52 mins
  • S2 E4: Building Inclusive Futures: Antiracist Education in Contemporary Britain

    S2 E4: Building Inclusive Futures: Antiracist Education in Contemporary Britain
    Jun 29 2026
    In this episode, Dr. Camille London-Miyo is in conversation with Professor Leon P. Tikly and Professor Paul Warmington on the future of antiracist education in the UK and worldwide. Does the education system meet the needs of Black and Brown pupils? Are these needs properly acknowledged? Recent developments in public debate and government policy have raised concerns about support for antiracist education. Join SLRC research associate Dr. Camille London-Miyo for a timely discussion of the future of antiracist education, developments in educational practice, and the need to foster unity and mutual support among antiracist networks. Drawing on her decades-long experience as an educator and trade unionist in the National Education Union, Camille leads the SLRC racial literacy programme Teaching to Transform, which provides antiracist training to teachers from over fifty schools across Leicester and Leicestershire. In this episode, her trailblazing work is put in dialogue with that of two leading critical voices in education studies, Professor Leon P. Tikly and Professor Paul Warmington. Leon P. Tikly is Professor of International and Comparative Education at the University of Bristol. He is a fellow of the British Academy and holds the UNESCO Chair in Transforming Knowledge and Research for Just and Sustainable Futures. His research over many years has focused on improving the quality of education for disadvantaged learners in Africa; on anti-racism and decolonisation; and on raising the attainment of Black and other minoritised learners in the UK and Europe. More recently, his work has explored the nexus between decolonisation and sustainable futures. Paul Warmington is Professor of Race and Education in the Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality at Leeds Beckett University. Paul is one of the UK's leading scholars specialising in relationships between race and racism, educational policy and politics, Black Atlantic thought and social theories of education. His current research focuses on the durability of racism, representations of race and class in media and policy, and the fate of state-led multiculturalism. Paul had a lengthy career in antiracist publishing and in further education in the 1980s and 1990s. He has previously taught and conducted research at the University of Warwick, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Nottingham. Further readings: J. Haynes, L. Tikly and C. Caballero, C. The Barriers to Achievement for White/ Black Caribbean Pupils, British Journal Of Sociology of Education, 27-5 (2006): 269-283. A. Sriprakash, L. Tikly, and S. Walker. The erasures of racism in education and international development: re-reading the 'global learning crisis', Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 2019 DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2018.1559040, published online 22 Jan 2019 Leon Tikly, L. Racism and the future of antiracism in education: A critical analysis of the Sewell report, British Journal of Educational Research, 2021. DOI: 10.1002/berj.3776. S. Walker, K. Strong, A. Sriprakash, C. Soudien, D. Wallace. Comparative Education Review Special Issue, Black Lives Matter and the Global Struggle for Racial Justice in Education, 67-1 (2022). Y. Hutchinson, A. Ochoa, J. Paulson, L. Tikly (eds), Decolonising Education for Sustainable Futures (Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023). S. Walker, L. Tikly, K. Strong, D. Wallace, and C. Soudien. The case for educational reparations: Addressing racial injustices in sustainable development goal 4. International Journal of Educational Development, 103 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102933. Paul Warmington, Permanent Racism: Race, Class and the Myth of Postracial Britain (Bristol: Policy Press, 2024). David Gillborn. White Lies: Racism, Education and Critical Race Theory (London and New York: Routledge, 2025). Sally Tomlinson. Education and Race: From Empire to Multicultural Britain (Bristol: Policy Press, 2026). Online Resources: Runnymede Trust – Statement regarding the report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: https://www.runnymedetrust.org/news/statement-regarding-the-cred-report-2021 Runnymede Trust – Response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review: https://www.runnymedetrust.org/news/response-to-the-curriculum-and-assessment-review Professor Gus John at 80: 'We must call out systemic racism wherever we see it': https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news/2025/03/11/gus-john/ Teach First - We need to talk about racism in the UK education system: https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/blog/racism-uk-schools
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    55 mins