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Abstract
Lord Macpherson's definition of institutional racism was central to his report about the police investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. It was also integral to his recommendations for the reform of the police in England and Wales. Lord Macpherson argued for changes to race relations within constabularies. His notion of institutional racism is scrutinized in this article, based on evidence from a two-year project about Black Police Associations in the United Kingdom. Different meanings of institutional racism and their consequences are discussed, the locus of racism is charted, and the importance of an institutional memory of racism within constabularies is emphasized.
Notes
1. There is a considerable literature about this subject. See Hall, 1992; Back, 1995; Solomos & Back, 1994, 1996.
2. ESRC grant R000239360 refers. It ran from October 2001 to September 2003.
3. I quote from this poem because its relevance to the experience of officers in the workforce will become apparent as the argument progresses.
4. Home Office guidance changes, but the following is an example of good practice in this area: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimpol/police/equality/goodpractice.html
5. Their definition of institutional racism, “originates in the operation of established and respected forces in the society. It relies on the active and pervasive operation of anti-black attitudes and practices. A sense of superior group position prevails: whites are ‘better’ than blacks and therefore blacks should be subordinated to whites. This is a racist attitude and it permeates society on both the individual and institutional level, covertly or overtly.”
6. This point begs another article about the extent to which a focus on racism is in confict with one on cultural diversity, both of which are the subject of policies in constabularies. The Metropolitan Police Service, for example, has a policy of cultural diversity, which has led partially to the development of Muslim, Greek, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and other police associations.
7. The recent television programme “The Secret Policeman” is one such example. The Metropolitan Police Service, Supterintendent Ali Desai case is another.