Robbie Shilliam

politcialeconomy

  • Race and the Undeserving Poor

    Robbie Shilliam

    I’ve just published a book with Agenda, called Race and the Undeserving Poor: From Abolition to Brexit. There’s a debate on the book at DisorderofThings, including an intro and a response by me. They are really excellent critical engagements with the book. The forum was organized by Lisa Tilley. My intro Race, nation and welfare:…

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  • Cape Coast Castle

    Robbie Shilliam

    All the stone on the castle is painted white in the Cape Coast sun. When you re-emerge from the dungeon, even after only 5 minutes down there, the world will blind you. The dungeon is composed of three or so chambers. The large one –around 7 by 15 metres – is meant to hold a…

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  • Racism, multiculturalism and Brexit

    Robbie Shilliam

    I take it as a given (by polls) that the most influential reason why people voted  Brexit was not to restore British sovereignty in the abstract but more precisely to “take it back” in order to stop more of “them” coming over. I also take it as understood that  this statement does not infer that all who voted for Brexit  are racists.…

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  • Struggling to Remember Slavery

    Robbie Shilliam

    23rd August is the UNESCO sanctioned International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and of its Abolition. Importantly, UNESCO begin their description of the event thus: The night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role…

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  • Race, Class, and the Pan-African Congress in Manchester 1945

    Robbie Shilliam

    In a recent blog for Disorder of Things I talked about the tensions in much leftist thought when it comes to racial oppression and its relationship to class exploitation. I must admit, I constantly find myself frustrated by two counterveiling tendencies. On the one hand, the progressive and principled solidarity – especially at grassroots level…

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  • Racism, Recession, Riots

    Robbie Shilliam

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSbWivfd0Cg A symposium held at Queen Mary, University of London, on March 14th 2012. Featured speakers: Devon Thomas, Stafford Scott, Lee Lawrence, Mark Thompson. Discussion covers historical comparisons of Brixton and Tottenham riots in 80s and August 2011 London riots; institutional racism; police discrimination and brutality; community leadership; economic and social policies; activism; youth violence;…

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