Professor Iyiola Solanke discusses similarities between COVID-19 and racial discrimination

Racial discrimination is like COVID-19 - a virus we can tackle: Iyiola Solanke

Chair in EU Law and Social Justice Professor Solanke has been featured in a number of different publications including the Yorkshire Post and Microbiology Society, and in a video interview with China Global Television Network, discussing the idea that racial discrimination can be treated like a virus. 

Professor Solanke explains:

 "In 2015, the UK celebrated 50 years since the adoption of the first Race Relations Act introduced in 1965. Yet, official data illustrates that sadly, in Britain oppression is still more widespread than opportunity. In my recent book Discrimination As Stigma (Hart 2017), I attempted to explain why anti-discrimination law has not changed society as desired, and I suggest that the legal paradigm needs to change, not just legal provisions: if we approach discrimination as a virus and adopt multi-level public health methods, we might be more successful in its eradication."

The article in the Yorkshire Post can be found here.

The article on Microbiology Society can be found here.

The video interview with China Global Television Network can be found here.

Professor Solanke’s 2019 TEDx talk ‘Can we eradicate discrimination if we view it as a virus?’ can be found here.