Black British Feminism: A Reader is a unique collection of classic texts and new black feminist scholarship. Exploring postmodern themes of gendered and racialized exclusion, 'black' identity and social and cultural difference this volume provides an overview of black feminism in Britain as it has developed during the last two decades.
Among the topics covered are:
* white feminism
* political activism
* 'mixed-race'identity
* class differences
* cultural hybridity
* autobiography
* black beauty
* religious fundamentalism
* national belonging
* lesbian identity
* postcolonial space
* popular culture
This timely and important book is essential reading for students and scholars of cultural studies, women's studies, sociology, literature and postcolonial studies.

'This book is a great genealogy of black women's unrecognised contributions within both education and the wide social context. I think it constitutes an important piece of work that is totally missing from the existing literature' - Diane Reay, Professor of Education, Cambridge University Race, Gender and Educational Desire reveals the emotional and social consequences of gendered difference and racial division as experienced by black and ethnicised women teachers and students in schools and universities. It explores the intersectionality of race and gender in education, taking the topic in new, challenging directions and asking How does race and gender structure the experiences of black and ethnicised women in our places of learning and teaching? Why, in the context of endemic race and gender inequality, is there a persistent expression of educational desire among black and ethnicised women? Why is black and ethnicised female empowerment important in understanding the dynamics of wider social change? Social commentators, academics, policy makers and political activists have debated the causes of endemic gender and race inequalities in education for several decades. This important and timely book demonstrates the alternative power of a black feminist framework in illuminating the interconnections between race and gender and processes of educational inequality. Heidi Safia Mirza, a leading scholar in the field, takes us on a personal and political journey through the debates on black British feminism, genetics and the new racism, citizenship and black female cultures of resistance. Mirza addresses some of the most controversial issues that shape the black and ethnic female experience in school and higher education, such as multiculturalism, Islamophobia, diversity, race equality and equal opportunities Race, Gender and Educational Desire makes a plea for hope and optimism, arguing that black women's educational desire for themselves and their children embodies a feminised prospectus for a successful multicultural future. This book will be of particular interest to students, academics and researchers in the field of education, sociology of education, multicultural education and social policy. Heidi Safia Mirza is Professor of Equalities Studies in Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, and Director of the Centre for Rights, Equalities and Social Justice (CRESJ). She is also author of Young, Female and Black (Routledge).

Young black women bear all the hallmarks of a fundamentally unequal society. They do well at school, contribute to society, are good efficient workers yet, as a group they consistently fail to secure the economic status and occupational prestige they deserve. Charting the experience of a group of young black women as they leave school and enter the world of work, Heidi Safia Mirza asks why it is that young black women suffer these injustices and reveals the processes of inequality that, despite the ideology of a meritocracy, persist in this society. In arguing for a more structural understanding of inequality, "Young Female and Black" questions the popular constructions of black female identity that to date have been so prevalent in explanations of black female educational achievement. In the comparative context of research and writing from Britain, America and the Caribbean, this book re-examines what is meant by "educational underachievement", the "black family" and in particular, "black womanhood" in Britain. This book should be of interest to undergraduates and postgraduates; women's studies, sociology of race and social policy.

'This book is a great genealogy of black women's unrecognised contributions within both education and the wide social context. I think it constitutes an important piece of work that is totally missing from the existing literature' - Diane Reay, Professor of Education, Cambridge University Race, Gender and Educational Desire reveals the emotional and social consequences of gendered difference and racial division as experienced by black and ethnicised women teachers and students in schools and universities. It explores the intersectionality of race and gender in education, taking the topic in new, challenging directions and asking How does race and gender structure the experiences of black and ethnicised women in our places of learning and teaching? Why, in the context of endemic race and gender inequality, is there a persistent expression of educational desire among black and ethnicised women? Why is black and ethnicised female empowerment important in understanding the dynamics of wider social change? Social commentators, academics, policy makers and political activists have debated the causes of endemic gender and race inequalities in education for several decades. This important and timely book demonstrates the alternative power of a black feminist framework in illuminating the interconnections between race and gender and processes of educational inequality. Heidi Safia Mirza, a leading scholar in the field, takes us on a personal and political journey through the debates on black British feminism, genetics and the new racism, citizenship and black female cultures of resistance. Mirza addresses some of the most controversial issues that shape the black and ethnic female experience in school and higher education, such as multiculturalism, Islamophobia, diversity, race equality and equal opportunities Race, Gender and Educational Desire makes a plea for hope and optimism, arguing that black women's educational desire for themselves and their children embodies a feminised prospectus for a successful multicultural future. This book will be of particular interest to students, academics and researchers in the field of education, sociology of education, multicultural education and social policy. Heidi Safia Mirza is Professor of Equalities Studies in Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, and Director of the Centre for Rights, Equalities and Social Justice (CRESJ). She is also author of Young, Female and Black (Routledge).

Thirty years after the Race Relations Act, racism remains endemic in British society. How successful have policy measures been in addressing the causes of racism? What lessons can we learn from countries outside Britain? This important and timely book reviews the evidence and asks 'what really works?'. Drawing on the literature from a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, anthropology and psychology, the book makes direct links between the causes of racism and the successful interventions to combat it. It particularly highlights the need to understand micro 'everyday' racisms in order to tackle the macro structural roots of racism. Topics covered include: ethnic monitoring and the reproduction of racism; elite racism in the media and among politicians; anti-racist interventions at work and service delivery; combating racism in sport, the arts and education; social cohesion, diversity and local community initiatives; and multiculturalism and equal opportunities.

Young black women bear all the hallmarks of a fundamentally unequal society. They do well at school, contribute to society, are good efficient workers yet, as a group they consistently fail to secure the economic status and occupational prestige they deserve. Charting the experience of a group of young black women as they leave school and enter the world of work, Heidi Safia Mirza asks why it is that young black women suffer these injustices and reveals the processes of inequality that, despite the ideology of a meritocracy, persist in this society. In arguing for a more structural understanding of inequality, "Young Female and Black" questions the popular constructions of black female identity that to date have been so prevalent in explanations of black female educational achievement. In the comparative context of research and writing from Britain, America and the Caribbean, this book re-examines what is meant by "educational underachievement", the "black family" and in particular, "black womanhood" in Britain. This book should be of interest to undergraduates and postgraduates; women's studies, sociology of race and social policy.

This book reveals the roots of structural racism that limit social mobility and equality within Britain for Black and ethnicised students and academics in its inherently white Higher Education institutions. It brings together both established and emerging scholars in the fields of Race and Education to explore what institutional racism in British Higher Education looks like in colour-blind 'post-race' times, when racism is deemed to be 'off the political agenda'. Keeping pace with our rapidly changing global universities, this edited collection asks difficult and challenging questions, including why black academics leave the system; why the curriculum is still white; how elite universities reproduce race privilege; and how Black, Muslim and Gypsy traveller students are disadvantaged and excluded. The book also discusses why British racial equality legislation has failed to address racism, and explores what the Black student movement is doing about this. As the authors powerfully argue, it is only by dismantling the invisible architecture of post-colonial white privilege that the 21st century struggle for a truly decolonised academy can begin. This collection will be essential reading for students and academics working in the fields of Education, Sociology, and Race.

"Black British Feminism: A Reader" reveals the historic development and important academic direction of black British feminism. This unique collection of key texts and writings by Black British women of Pacific, Asian, African, Caribbean and Latina descent living in Britain is essential reading for those interested in cultural and women's studies, sociology, and postcolonial studies.
Part 1: Shaping The Debate explores the early direction of Black feminist scholars in Britain, while Part II: Defining Our Space demonstrates the shift in the 1990s of exploring intellectual possibilities while continuing to challenge cultural imperialism in its many forms. Part III: Changing the Future looks ahead to new directions and opportunities for change engendered by a Black feminist perspective.