The Racial Code

Reviews / Votes

A powerful, salient and gracefully written study of the corrosive dynamics of race in Britain from a trusted voice on the subject. We can all benefit from reading it -- Diana Evans Startlingly effective as a primer for anyone interested in racial equity at work . . . Because it reads, in part, like a short story collection, it sets a new bar for our notions of what a workplace or business book can be -- Isabel Berwick * Financial Times * This book has done more to help me understand the microaggressions that people of colour routinely face than any other. Nicola Rollock, one of the UK's foremost experts on racial justice, immerses us in the everyday lived experience of racism -- Caroline Sanderson * Editor's Choice, Bookseller * A must-read book for anyone who wants to examine their own assumptions and dig deep into what it means to be, as Rollock puts it, "racialised as white". . . The addition of Rollock's own experiences and the short-story format of her case studies are what makes this book so different and valuable for anyone willing to challenge themselves and advance diversity and inclusion for all * Financial Times * A forensic and no-nonsense unpacking of everyday racism and the often invisible 'racial rulebook' that dictates all of our lives. Rollock offers a simultaneously insightful yet accessible take on what the next steps in racial justice look like -- regardless of where you are on your anti-racism journey, this book offers something truly eye-opening in every chapter -- Yomi Adegoke Using Nicola Rollock's own salient insight into Black British reality, The Racial Code unreservedly explores the Black experience through a series of vivid tales from modern life. Sharp and engrossing on every turn of the page -- David Lammy Nicola Rollock brings together rigorous scholarship, personal experience, and immense empathy in this informative and insightful manual for surviving racism in contemporary Britain. Accessibly written and presented without sacrificing intellectual acuity, The Racial Code is an illuminating, painful but ultimately hopeful read that informs and inspires in equal measure. I wish I had the essential guidance and tools included in this book when I first arrived in Britain - I would have avoided much pain! -- Sunny Singh An essential guide for any institution committed to improving the experiences of their workforce. This is a book for the future: it gives us exactly the tools we need to dismantle racial injustice in our society -- Baroness Doreen Lawrence One of the most powerful elements in contemporary critical race scholarship is the use of storytelling to weave nuanced and engaging narratives that brutally expose the complex and hidden realities of racism, while never losing sight of the humanity and significance of resistance. The Racial Code is undoubtedly the very best example of counter-storytelling to have emerged from the UK to date. This unique collection of vignettes and insights will educate, anger, and move readers internationally. This is scholarship of the first order -- David Gillborn, Professor of Critical Race Studies, University of Birmingham, UK