I found an Observer piece I wrote in 2001: growing complexity of opportunity and disadvantage on race in Britain. For a Race in Britain 12 page special after summer 2001 (riots). I was in charge of populating a centre-spread map + the key facts https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk/2001/nov/25/race.world4

The page design means an opening paragraph - there is no single ethnic experience for 4 million people, but increasingly complex pattern of opportunity and disadvantage - has gone missing

Several things on my list of things to find (eg: internet access) didnt exist. Overall, data much better collated today (some gaps remain)

Challenge: how little any of this features in media discourse - talking point controversies. Media producers rarely across basic contours

Race most salient for years. But basic contours unknown.

Eg: ethnic minority Britons now more likely to be uni graduates than white British.

Important 2020 fact.Probably true for a decade. Not part of public discourse. Partly as many in newsrooms may not know this themselves

I got 2500 shares/300k impressions for surprise data on ethnic minority participation in HE

Comms challenge that (complex, nuanced) story of opportunity & disadvantage has been gathered (eg race audit) but has yet to be told publicly in a way that sticks https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1283048164069650439?s=19

The left talks generically about entrenched structural disadvantage (still true/nuanced version) and the right talks generically about past progress (true/nuanced version) but not much "priorities for change" focus from generic glass is empty/full takes https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1283301727173775361?s=19

I think v.liberal but undiverse sectors (esp publishing; also arts, culture, media) often put race into ghetto/underclass frame (show empathy, social conscience, from distance). Lack attention span for race equality 'in the middle' or strategy for concrete action, close to home