RaCE | University of Sunderland in London

External lecturer Nai Kalema giving a talk on race at the University of Sunderland in London

The Race, Class and Ethnicity (RaCE) interdisciplinary research network

The Race, Class and Ethnicity (RaCE) Interdisciplinary Research Network was launched in October 2018. It was created as a response to the current and historic realities woven into the lived experiences of race, class, and ethnicity in our everyday lives. The network was founded on the belief that issues in society, including the economy, poverty and racism are still influential in throughout society. How these three intersecting social constructs are understood and materialise are of central concern to the Equality Act 2010 and to the requirements of public bodies to develop anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices. How these three connected issues are understood and are represented in society is what the Equality Act 2010 looks to address. The Act covers the requirements of public bodies to follow inclusive and anti-discriminatory practices.

In the University's Strategic Plan 2016-2021, it lays out that we are an inclusive university that celebrates our 'diverse culture where everyone's contribution is welcomed and valued.' The RaCE Network had received funding for its first three years in keeping with this core value. The Network has created a set of guiding principles aimed at breaking down the barriers that contribute to inequality, a mission we see as essential to creating an inclusive society.

Aims

The RaCE network has seven main aims which inform its work. These are to:

provide an open forum for critical, inter/trans/post/cross-disciplinary dialogues about race, class and/or ethnicity and their complex intersections;
challenge discriminatory practices which result from race, class and/or ethnicity through discourse and activism;
provide critical discussions about the racialisation of culture;
engage in critical dialogues about ‘Whiteness’ and ‘White privilege’;
convene a series of events which seek to promote and disseminate research, scholarship, and practice on race/class/ethnicity;
develop collaborative relationships and projects with individuals, groups and/or institutions;
further the discourse and practice that challenge the essential logics woven into race, class and/or ethnicity.

These aims direct the network along with a commitment to research through its responsibility to bring communities affected by these issues into the development of critical practices.

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