Racial Code

In this transformative book, Nicola Rollock, one of our pre-eminent experts on racial justice, offers a vital exploration of the lived experience of racismA hidden racial rulebook governs our lives. It determines who is excluded from different social spaces. It helps maintain a racial status quo where white people are the top of the hierarchy and people of colour are at the bottom. The Racial Code shows why, despite commitments to change, despite laws, policy documents and the recent trend for diversity and inclusion and unconscious bias training, promises to meaningfully advance racial justice remain unfulfilled. Revealing how this rulebook works, Nicola Rollock weaves together a series of shocking, affecting narratives informed by her extensive research and conversations, immersing us in the everyday experience of racism. They include the stories of a Black lawyer attending his first party at an exclusive and predominantly white male members' club, a Black lecturer's response to her long overdue promotion, a Black curator who is profoundly disturbed by his museum's exhibition about slavery, and a satirical tale about a group of Black women who have designed a product that will brand anyone who tries to touch or comment on their hair.Stunningly original, powerful and provocative, The Racial Code challenges us to go beyond data and deep into lived experience. It transforms our understanding of race - and it gives us the tools to dismantle this code.