INSTITUTIONAL RACISM - TEN YEARS AFTER MACPHERSON
December 18, 2008 by grteadmin
The cold-blooded murder of African Caibbean Teenager Stephen Lawrence in Eltham, South London in 1989 culminated in the Macpherson Report which introduced the phrase 'institutional racism' into race relations polemic in the UK. Although a key focus was the police service in the UK, it had ramifications for all institutions in the UK and precipitated the introduction of new legislation including the Race Relations Amendments Act 2000.
Ten years on, the Parliamentary Home Affairs Committee, chaired by the able Hon Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester is currently receiving depositions from interest groups to review progress made thus far. Notable oral depositions so far include Ms Doreen Lawrence, mother of the late Stephen Lawrence, Trevor Phillips - Chair of the Equalities & Human Rights Commission and representatives of the Police Service including the Association of Chief Police Officers.
What is your view? Do you think that there has been significant improvements in tackling institutional racism and that racism has reduced, or there remain major obstalces?"
