Why Black Lives in Britain Matter

Across the West, racial injustice has become one of the most divisive issues of our age. In the rush to address inequality and prejudice, and to understand concerns around identity, immigration and colonial history, Britain has followed the lead of the world’s dominant power: America. We judge ourselves by America’s standards, absorb its arguments and follow its agenda. But are we looking in the wrong place?

Tomiwa Owolade‘s thoughts are built on the idea that black Britons are British first and foremost, and are likely to have more in common with other Britons. Tom argues that too much of the conversation around race in Britain today is viewed through the prism of American ideas that don’t reflect the history, challenges and achievements of increasingly diverse black populations at home.

To build a long-lasting and more effective anti-racist agenda we must acknowledge that crucial differences exist between Britain and America, and that we are talking about distinct communities and cultures, distinguished by language, history, class, religion and national origin. Humane, empirical and passionate, Tom’s book, This is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter, provides a bold new framework for understanding race in Britain today.