Playing the ‘race card’: Is the UK a model of racial equality?

Photo credit, Tim Pearce In the wake of a new government report from 31st March 2021 that declared, overwhelmingly, that, yes, racism does exist, but not at an institutional level, many people, including myself, are left feeling confused. It seems like we, as a nation, have gone backward. In 1999, the Macpherson Report, an inquiry into the racist murder …

Playing the ‘Race Card’: The Myth of Meritocracy

Many children are told that if they work hard at school, they will get a good job, be able to afford nice things and have a good life. For a lot of people, this is the case; but if you are born with darker skin, this form of meritocracy isn't necessarily a foregone conclusion. At …

Playing the ‘Race Card’: What are Microaggressions?

The term microaggression has been used increasingly within everyday language but what does it mean? By looking and understanding what racism means will give a basis for understanding what microaggressions are. Racism is defined as “any attitude, institutional structure, action or social policy that subordinates’ persons or groups because of their colour” (Jones 1997). Microaggressions …

Serial Podcast!

If you haven’t heard about this podcast called Serial, where have you been? Probably living your normal life, not overly investing in or obsessing over a random radio, non-fiction story. Serial is a 12-episode podcast about a murder case that occurred in 1999 in Baltimore.  I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon of popular …

Stepping on top of people just for a bargain? Black Friday is here to stay

Black Friday is a long-standing American tradition. But what is it and how did it get to the UK? What is Black Friday? Black Friday is a day of mass sales and consumerism in America, often charted as the start of the holiday shopping season. The event occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving (which falls …

Benefits Street: excellent documentary or poverty porn?

  Channel 4 has another reality TV show, expose, documentary.  Move over My big Fat Gypsy Wedding, Benefits Street is the new kid on the block. The documentary makers from Channel 4 spent over a year filming on a street in Winson Green, Birmingham UK where it claims the majority of over 99 inhabitants on James Turner …

The case of Trayvon Martin

This case has sparked national and international protests and exposed parts of America's laws. In February 2012 George Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch man of a gated community in Florida shot Trayvon in an alleged act of self defence. In the trail which culminated earlier this month, (July 2013), the Jury acquitted Zimmerman of manslaughter and …

How the Stephen Lawrence case led to many changes in society

The dawn of 2012 signalled the culmination of 18 years of heartbreak and disappointments for all those involved in the Lawrence case. From the catalogue of failures made by the Metropolitan Police, a failed private prosecution and a change in the double jeopardy law; two suspects have now found their way behind bars for their …

Why should I vote?

According to statistics, just over a third of the electorate voted in 3rd May's 2012 local election. This number increased to 66% in the 2015 general election (the highest voter turn out in 18 years),  65% voted in 2010 general election and 59% in 2001 general election (The Telegraph, 2015).  These statistics suggest that voting …

City Traders, Angels and Rogue’s

A rogue is  defined by dictionary.com as: a "dishonest, scoundrel, who can be playful, a tramp or a vagabond." Quite a formidable list of adjectives I would say so how can this term rogue become synonymous with the work city traders? City traders who work in Investment Banks take a gamble on what ever their …