'There Ain't no Black in the Union Jack': The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation

by Paul Gilroy, Houston A. Baker Jr. (Foreword)

Gilroy demonstrates the enormous complexity of racial politics in England today. Exploring the relationships among race, class, and nation as they have evolved over the past twenty years, he highlights racist attitudes that transcend the left-right political divide. He challenges current sociological approaches to racism as well as the ethnocentric bias of British cultural studies.

"Gilroy demonstrates effectively that cultural traditions are not static, but develop, grow and indeed mutate, as they influence and are influenced by the other changing traditions around them."—David Edgar, Listener Review of Books.

"A fascinating analysis of the discourses that have accompanied black settlement in Britain. . . . An important addition to the stock of critical works on race and culture."—David Okuefuna, Chicago Tribune

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Race, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Politics, Academic

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

About the author

Paul Gilroy is an English sociologist and cultural studies scholar who is Professor of the Humanities and the founding Director of the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Race and Racism at University College, London.

Reviews

[Jesus Hills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be mandatory reading in high schools. The parallels between Enoch Powell and Trump-era politics are stark and jarring. I was not expecting to see a book written in 1987 include the phrases "Make Britain Great Again," "Thin Blue Line," or "anti-racist."

I first became interested in this book because of a documentary on British ska that Paul Gilroy participated in. I wanted to hear more about Black British culture during the age of Thatcherism because there isn't enough writing in that field. Starting this book the week of Queen Elizabeth's passing seemed like an appropriate time to start reading about an era that ran parallel to her reign.

I learned so much more than I expected on a variety of topics, including racial agency, critiques of Marxist theory in a uniquely black context, new (for me) interpretations of funk, soul, and reggae music that I already enjoyed, and contemplations on the black diaspora from non-American angles. This should be placed on the same pedestals as Frantz Fanon, C.L.R. James, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and (and so many others). If I am lucky, One day, I would love to sit down and talk (rather listen) with Gilroy about developments since he last published an edition of the book.

This is a must-read.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as much about methodology as it is anything else. Gilroy attacks the narrow structuralist notions of 'race' in much sociology and the ethnocentricity of much of what passes as cultural studies by exploring the dynamics of 'race' and class in post-war Britain. Although the book dates from the late 1980s, it retains a vibrancy and engagement with popular and expressive cultural forms that, even if they have disappeared into the practices of the past, provides a model for analysis and practice that is hard to fault. A powerful exposition on the political transcendence of 'race' in contemporary British history.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book :) It is meticulously well-researched. Gilroy draws out so many details from the newspaper archives and other sources which shed light on this experience. I think it's a book which remains entirely relevant and reads as if it were written so recently, even though it was published when Mandela was still in prison and Apartheid was intact in South Africa.

Currents and flows of imperial nostalgia, the angst of a country in decline and the desire to cling and hove to a sense of whiteness in opposition to the other is central to Gilroy's theory of racism in Britain. He pulls in the words of Enoch Powell to illustrate this position, the desire to restore an ethnic symmetry to a world distorted by imperial adventure and migration. I can't see how this is not utterly relevant to contemporary British racism.

Gilroy also focusses on music in the black community, as a site of wholesomeness and resistance, which is a really interesting section :) Also on the GLC's attempts to combat racism, some of which were so very limited. I also absolutely love his argument about fragmentary activism. ‘Racism covers all society's institutions like a thick blanket of snow. Deprived of any overall direction and purpose anti-racists are invited to dig away into its frosty crust anywhere that tickles their fancy.’ Gilroy is rejecting individual badges, posters in bedrooms etc - in favour of collective action! Not that we shouldn't do all that stuff but that we need to work together :) It's all so well-written and argued and should be seen as a key text in understanding race in Britain.

Definitely on the list of people I would love to go to a talk by!! Finally, I used this in one of my first essays at uni and here I am using it four years later in my final every assignment!!

[Ally Jindra · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’ll be honest, i picked this book because i thought it was “there ain’t no black in the union, jack”, discussing black people and unions (commas are important). nevertheless, this books is a solid read, despite its “slow” beginning.
it is truly said to me how this book is 37 years old but could have literally just come out this year; it’s terrible how rampant everything is.
but, i believe that gilroy does a good job at dissecting everything and even proposes different strategies on how to move forward.

[Teleseparatist · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts about music went over my head.

There's a core here that really resonates and stays relevant (particularly worth thinking about post-Windrush scandal) and some of it could have used a much stronger attention to issues of gender. Perhaps my reading is hopelessly asynchronous; I come to the book with knowledge of the interventions feminism has made in the field of culture studies, and wish the author had known of texts that came after him. Or perhaps the gaps are still gaps.

[Rene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some theoretical nuggets of value but overburdened by extraneous detail. The entire chapter on music could have been cut to make a tighter and 70-page shorter book were it not for the fact that this is the author's pet interest.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I found the book very hard going, as he uses quite difficult language and concepts.But I kept going and started to enjoy it (even it I didn't agree 100% on all his political points). It was insightful and it almost felt as if you were there in the movement itself. However, I was hit by the last chapter. He seems to completely to completely change his position on the question of class and race, and starts using 'social movement theories' which don't really explain anything in my opinion. I would recommend giving it a read if you have the time, as most of the book is good, and he presents an important and under-written about history of the 70s and 80s, but I really didn't think much of his conclusions.

[Fflur Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The seminal book on race, immigration and nationalism in the UK. Illustrates the ways in which race and class interact within, intersect with and structure cultural discourse and ideas of Britishness. It also offers a powerful critique of how race is mobilised in said discourse (particularly relevant when looking at identity politics). As relevant now as it was when it was first released!

[Neil Rogall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should have read this decades ago. Reading now it couldn’t help but be dated. Some fantastic insights. But it makes too much of the difference between the anl and rar which had different purposes and tactics. But loved the stuff on music

[Rebecca Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most cogent books on organizing, social movements, and race I've read in a long time. Thinking of putting it in conversation with Atalia Omer's 'Days of Awe'. 10/10 recommend reading!

[Fran Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super important and I found a much more convincing critique of class politics in the Thatcherite period than theorists like Gorz

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

essential reading

[gaverne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deserves its reputation.

[Alex Wrathall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly interesting and thoroughly researched overview of race relations in the UK in the age of immigration. I hadn't read such a heavy and detailed book on the subject before so it took me a while to get to grips with it - the first chapter especially is incredibly laden with terminology that is fairly difficult to understand, with many sentences requiring rereading - but Gilroy finds a more compelling voice later in the book. The 3rd and 4th chapters are especially interesting, respectively giving a view of relations between the police and migrant communities and their representation in wider culture and media, and a history of anti-racist movements in recent years both from a popular and governmental direction. The 5th chapter focusing on the expression of black culture through music is not as evidently relevant to begin with, but the greater themes Gilroy draws on in this section give more context to the points he is trying to make about the unique nature of race as a social qualifier in regards to class and other distinctions. A truly excellent exploration of black culture both inside the UK and out, with some detailed history of which I was previously not aware. Would recommend highly.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Gilroy offers a fluent account of 'race' and racism in Britain from the 1950s until the 1987, taking into account historical influences, political strategies, modes of representation in media, and by figures of authority (both police and politicians) and capitalist logic, albeit from a rather Marxist perspective. This book is an eye-opener into understanding British policies of 'race', and trying to combat them.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, do I wish I'd have had the time to give this book the full attention it deserves. I read (skimmed) it for a class project. Paul Gilroy is now one of my new favorite scholars. He writes so clearly and with such passion and everything he says makes so much sense. I wish I could have devoted the entire project to just his work in cultural studies.

[Irene Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gilroy demonstrates the enormous complexity of racial politics in England today. Exploring the relationships among race, class, and nation as they have evolved over the past twenty years, he highlights racist attitudes that transcend the left-right political divide. He challenges current sociological approaches to racism as well as the ethnocentric bias of British cultural studies.

[Ainsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absorbing read with interesting, well executed analysis about race relations. You might not agree with some of the authors assumptions or perspectives, but the author is very persuasive. With a revised introduction!

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the copy I had out from the library had so much writing and underlining (in a variety of colors) I couldn't really manage to get through all of this, and after the intro and first chapter, skipped to the conclusion. Maybe if I get my hands on another copy I'll get through the rest.

[Carlos · Rating 1 out of 5]

i just couldn't get through this. too tough for me but it has really important material inside.

[Juliette]

Read this book if you are interested in the contributions that black people have made to British society