The Race Relations Act 1965 – 50 years of anti-discrimination legislation in Britain

This event will mark the unveiling of a banner on the 50th Anniversary of the Race Relations Act 1965.

It is 50 years since the introduction of the first Race Relations Act in 1965. Race relations in Britain have come a long way since cases like the Scala Ballroom and the Smethwick by-election of 1964. There is much room for celebration – Britain is arguably the European country that has made the greatest strides towards racial equality - yet there is plenty of cause for concern such as policing and disproportionately high rates of incarceration (there are more black men in prison than in higher education) and unemployment: levels for Black Britons are much higher than their white peers – in 2011, 39.1% of black women aged 16-24 were unemployed.

The Unveiling of the Race Relations Act 1965 banner in the School of Law offers a moment not only to reflect upon the beginnings of anti-discrimination law in the UK but also upon race, racism and law then, now and in the future.

Speakers include:

• Professor Iyiola Solanke, Senior Lecturer, University of Leeds School of Law
• Baroness Ushar Prashar 
• Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Member of Parliament for Leeds Central

This event will mark the unveiling of a banner on the 50th Anniversary of the Race Relations Act 1965. The banner, previously exhibited in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament, and designed by the artist Alinah Azadeh, was won for the School by Professor Iyiola Solanke after a competitive process. It will be on permanent display at the School in the main atrium. In order to illustrate the importance of the Race Relations Act 1965, the School has curated a temporary exhibition alongside the banner on the evolution of anti-discrimination legislation in British law.