Rock Against Racism is a body of photographs that Syd Shelton produced for and about the British Rock Against Racism movement (RAR) of 1976–1981.

    For Shelton, this work was a socialist act, what he calls a “graphic argument,” on behalf of marginalised lives.

    Shelton joined RAR in early 1977. He did so because he found his birthplace a more racist country than it had been when he left. This was marked by the increased political presence of the National Front, notably its gain of some 119,000 votes in the Greater London Council Elections of May 1977. Shelton, like millions of others, feared for the future of multi-cultural Britain.

    What is presented here are Shelton’s authoritative visual statements as participant-photographer on the social tempo in Britain at this time and the activist potency of RAR. As collective activism, RAR’s success was dependent on individual contributions to fuel the movement’s activities across the country. This unique national, and eventually international, charge incorporated the visual dynamic of how Black and white RAR contributors and participants styled their bodies as another antagonistic tool against racism.

    These were acts of style activism—the making of an activist identity through the considered composition of clothes, accessories, hairstyles, makeup, and body language. Shelton’s images prompt us to remember that the individuals at RAR carnivals, gigs, and demonstrations were the event—they were RAR.

    There are many versions of what RAR was and its legacy. Syd Shelton: Rock Against Racism provides an auto/biographical telling of that historical moment. It reflects on how Shelton’s work as a photographer contributed towards social change at a critical moment of political and racial tension in Britain.

    Other Releases on

    Punk: The Last WordBy Chris Sullivan and Stephen Colegrave
    'A thoroughly enjoyable compendium of appalling behaviour.' Nick Logan, Editor NME (1973-1978), founder of The Face 'From the shabby stowaways of the...
      • Book (900g)£30.00
        Expected 30 NovPreorder
      Freedom Rhythm and Sound EVENTThu 18 Dec 2025
      Gilles Peterson + Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) + Special GuestsAn evening of conversation, music and visuals 7.30-10pm Thu 18 Dec 2025 at The American...
        • EARLY BIRD Live Event E-Ticket£10.00
          In stockAdd to Bag
        Clarks in JamaicaBy Al Fingers, includes photos by Adrian Boot, Dave Hendley, David Corio, Mark Read, Beth Lesser
        Back in stock! Last copies!Superb brand new edition of this excellent deluxe 240 pages hardback, 100s and 100s of photos and text. New edition includes...
          • Book (1.5kg) 9780956777393£40.00 £35.00
            In stockAdd to Bag
          Greensleeves BOOKThe First 100 Covers
          WICKED NEW HARDBACK BOOK! Charts the story of Greensleeves Records —from its beginnings as a mid-1970s West London record shop to its rise as a...
            The Other Side : A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World
            In an illuminating blend of memoir and art history, The Other Side explores the lives and work of a group of extraordinary women artists. From the twelfth-century...
              Soul Jazz Records hoodie (navy)
              Brand new Soul Jazz Records Functional Outer Wear Product #1 Exclusive to Sounds of the Universe Limited edition navy hoodie (large) with design.
                Namba RoyNo Black Sparrows
                'A vivid portrait of Jamaica in the 1930s" Excellent social realist novel. Written by Jamaican Namba Roy in the 1950s in Britain. He died in 1961 and...
                  • Original Book (200g)£15.00
                    Original Pre-Owned Out of Print paperback copy in good condition
                    In stockAdd to Bag
                  Revolutionary Letters
                  By turns a handbook of countercultural living, a manual for street protest, and a feminist broadside against the repressive state apparatus, Revolutionary...
                    Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy presents 'Balearic Breakfast' Volume 4
                    “There are curators, and then there's Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy.” - Resident Advisor The sun has finally come out. It’s the first time something...
                      Talking to Women
                      In 1964, Nell Dunn spoke to nine of her friends over a bottle of wine about men, sex, work, money, babies, freedom and love. The Pop Artist Pauline Boty...
                        Wayne GorbeaCogele el Gusto
                          • Original CD£3.99
                            CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                            In stockAdd to Bag
                          Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 10Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 10
                          Latin compilation
                            • Original CD£9.99
                              CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                              In stockAdd to Bag
                            Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 11Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 11
                            Latin compilation
                              • Original CD£9.99
                                CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                In stockAdd to Bag
                              Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 12Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 12
                              Latin compilation
                                • Original CD£9.99
                                  CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                  In stockAdd to Bag
                                The Blood of OthersSimone de Beauvoir
                                Potent and vividly emotional, Simone de Beauvoir’s captivating novel questions freedom and individual responsibility in the face of brutality‘These...
                                  • Book (350g) 9780241696453£9.99
                                    In stockAdd to Bag
                                  Salsa Y Ache
                                    • Original CD£4.99
                                      CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                      In stockAdd to Bag
                                    My Grandmother's Hands : Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodiesby Resmaa Menakem
                                    THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Insightful, thought-provoking and profound. I can't recommend highly enough' Sunny Singh'A revolutionary work of beauty,...
                                      • Book (350g) 9780141996479£10.99
                                        In stockAdd to Bag
                                      Nova Scotia House : A Novel
                                      Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship, a community and an era. It is both a love story and a lament; bearing witness to the enduring...
                                        This Woman's Work : Essays on Music
                                        This Woman's Work: Essays on Music is edited by Kim Gordon and Sinead Gleeson and features contributors Anne Enright, Fatima Bhutto, Jenn Pelly, Rachel...
                                          • Book (600g) 9781474621472£20.00
                                            In stockAdd to Bag
                                          DJ Disciple & Henry KronkThe Beat, the Scene, the Sound : A DJ's Journey through the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of House Music in New York City
                                          A thrilling and tumultuous, behind-the-scenes account of house music in NYC. The Beat, the Scene, the Sound follows DJ Disciple and his behind-the-scenes...
                                            James Kaplan3 Shades of Blue : Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans & The Lost Empire of Cool
                                            1959 saw Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the other members of Miles's sextet come together to record the bestselling jazz album of all time:...
                                              Nettleblackby Nat Reeve
                                              'To be blunt: I must escape.' 1893. Henry Nettleblack has to act fast or she'll be married off by her elder sister. But leaving the safety of her wealthy...
                                                Friedrich NietzscheAphorisms on Love and Hate
                                                'We must learn to love, learn to be kind, and this from our earliest youth ... Likewise, hatred must be learned and nurtured, if one wishes to become a...
                                                  Eros the Bittersweet : An Essayby Anne Carson
                                                  Named one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time by the Modern LibraryAnne Carson’s remarkable first book about the paradoxical nature of romantic...
                                                    Days at the Morisaki Bookshopby Satoshi Yagisawa
                                                    The beloved Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, family, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book. When twenty-five-year-old...
                                                      • Book (300g) 9781786583239£10.99
                                                        In stockAdd to Bag
                                                      Luke de NoronhaDeporting Black Britons : Portraits of Deportation to Jamaica
                                                      Since the late nineties, the UK has deported thousands of people to Jamaica. Many of these ‘deportees’ left the Caribbean as infants and grew up in...
                                                        Jacqueline CrooksFire Rush
                                                        Yamaye lives for the weekend, when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt, an underground club on the outskirts of London. Then everything changes....
                                                          We Were There:How Black culture, resistance and community shaped modern Britain
                                                          We Were There is about a Black Britain that for too long has been unknown and unexplored – the one that exists beyond London. **An Esquire and GQ best...
                                                            • Book (700g) 9781847927477£22.00
                                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                                            Dr Maya AngelouI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
                                                            Maya Angelou's six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows...
                                                              Keith Gildart & Stephen CatterallKeeping the Faith : A History of Northern Soul
                                                              In the 1970s, Northern Soul held a pivotal position in British youth culture. Originating in the English North and Midlands in the late-1960s, by the mid-1970s...
                                                                Margo JeffersonNegroland : A Memoir
                                                                'Jefferson's eye for details yields some devastatingly honest and painful insights' The Times'Captivating... Charm is this book's watchword' Colin Grant,...
                                                                  Kae TempestOn Connection
                                                                  An authentically soothing, powerful, thought-provoker.'MATT HAIG'On Connection is medicine for these wounded times.'MAX PORTER'On Connection came to me...
                                                                    Emanuele CocciaPhilosophy of the Home : Domestic Space and Happiness
                                                                    A bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom - are these rooms all that make a home? Not at all, argues Emanuele Coccia. The buildings we inhabit are of immense psychological...

                                                                      People also bought

                                                                      The Mighty DiamondsThe Roots Is There (Raw Cut)Music Works
                                                                      DKR say.."After their epic run with Channel One beginning in the mid 1970's, the Mighty Diamonds moved to producer Gussie Clarke for a string of albums...
                                                                      • – The Roots Is There (Raw Cut)
                                                                      • – Dub Is There
                                                                      Keith & TexGroovy Situation (Dubplate Mixes)Studio 16
                                                                      First two 10" in new subsidiary label from Studio 16 "Black Art Dubplate Style" both featuring singer Keith Rowe of Keith & Tex fame. Recorded at The Black...
                                                                      • – Mix 1
                                                                      • – Mix 2
                                                                      Leroy BrownColor Barrier / Heart Of The CityKismet
                                                                      A KILLER late 70s roots version based on Bobby Bland's "Ain't No Love" recorded with Robbie Shakespear and the rest of The Revolutionaries, also with an...
                                                                      • – Color Barrier
                                                                      • – Heart Of The City
                                                                      Sugar MinottLive Loving (Studio One USA)Studio One
                                                                      Classic Studio One album alert! Sugar Minott picked classic Studio One rhythms from the vaults when he came to Brentford Road in the mid-70s. This is...
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Jahoviah
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Hang On Natty
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Change Your Ways
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Give A Hand
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Come On Home
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – This Old Man
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – A House Is Not A Home
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Live Loving
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Love Gonna Pack Up Sample
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Jah Almighty
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Jah Jah Lead Us
                                                                      • Sugar Minott – Peace Treaty Style
                                                                      Barry BrownThings And TimeBlack Roots
                                                                      One of Barry Brown's best vocal cuts, deep roots rhythm from the Black Roots camp that needs repeat plays for this under the radar tune from 1980, mixed...
                                                                      • Barry Brown – Things And Time
                                                                      • Black Roots Players – Things Dub
                                                                      Jackie MittooReggae MagicSoul Jazz Records
                                                                      Jackie Mittoo’s ‘Reggae Magic’ is a new collection from the great Jackie Mittoo. The album features a mixture of classic tunes and rarities from...
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Melody Maker
                                                                      • The Soul Vendors – Full Range
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Ghetto Organ
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Toronto Express
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Black Out
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Fireball Rock
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Tropic Island
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Sure Soul
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Taste Of Soul
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo & Sound Dimension – Soul Stew
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Reggae Magic
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo & Ernest Ranglin – West Of The Sun
                                                                      • The Skatalites – Hanging Tree
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Peenie Wallie
                                                                      • Sound Dimension – Walk Don't Run
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo & The Soul Vendors – Ba Ba Boom
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Dark Of The Moon
                                                                      • Jackie Mittoo – Full Charge
                                                                      CimaronsHarder Than The RockA-Lone Productions
                                                                      Following on from their documentary film of the same name, The Cimarons release this strong 11 song collection of new roots recordings with Spanish producer...
                                                                      • – Ship Took Us Away
                                                                      • – Oh Jah
                                                                      • – Morning Sun
                                                                      • – Harder Than The Rock
                                                                      The Rolling Stones12 X 5ABKCO
                                                                      Recorded in Chicago, 12 X 5 is The Rolling Stones' second album to be released in the US. It was released on October 17, 1964, on London Records.
                                                                        Soul Jazz Records presents Studio One Ska Fire ! (Limited Edition Collectors 7" Box Set)Studio One Ska Fire ! (Limited Edition Collectors 7" Box Set)Soul Jazz Records
                                                                        Studio One Ska Fire Box Set, a limited-edition one-off pressing exclusive collectors seven-inch box set featuring 10 amazing and super-rare Studio One...
                                                                        • Don Drummond – Don D Special
                                                                        • Toots and The Maytals – A Man Who Knows
                                                                        • Bob Marley and The Wailers – Rude Boy
                                                                        • Derrick Morgan – It's Alright
                                                                        • The Skatalites – Something Special
                                                                        • Lee Perry – Open Up (aka Cook Book)
                                                                        • The Regals – Shammy Back
                                                                        • Bob Marley and The Wailers – Diamond Baby
                                                                        • Jackie Opel – The Mill Man
                                                                        • The Ethiopians – I Am Free
                                                                        • 5×7" Boxset SJR467£38.00
                                                                          In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                        • MP3 Release SJR467D£9.99
                                                                          5026328504674
                                                                          In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                        300% Dynamite!Ska, Soul, Rocksteady, Funk and Dub in JamaicaSoul Jazz Records
                                                                        Special new 25th anniversary edition of this most popular and highly-acclaimed of all Soul Jazz Records' Dynamite! series - 300% Dynamite is jam-packed...
                                                                        • Wayne Smith – Under Mi Sleng Teng
                                                                        • Big Youth – Cool Breeze
                                                                        • Sister Nancy – Bam Bam
                                                                        • The Freddie Munnings Orchestra – Coconut Woman
                                                                        • Bobby Ellis – Step Softly
                                                                        • Althea and Donna – Uptown Top Ranking
                                                                        • Jah Lloyd – Llama
                                                                        • Culture – Stop The Fussing and Fighting
                                                                        • Lee Perry and The Upsetters – Jungle Lion
                                                                        • Johnny and The Attractions – Let's Get Together
                                                                        • Augustus Pablo – Viva Tirado
                                                                        • Archie and Lyn – Rat In The Centre
                                                                        • Jackie Paris – Make Me Smile
                                                                        • Bobby Ellis – Shank I Sheck
                                                                        • Winston Wright and The Upsetters – Jam #1
                                                                        • The Ethiopians – The Whip
                                                                        • Chaka Demus & Pliers – The Boom
                                                                        • Glen Adams – Can't Hide Love
                                                                        • Johnny Clarke – Rebel Soldering
                                                                        • Dee Sharp – Let's Dub It Up
                                                                        Freedom Rhythm and Sound EVENTThu 18 Dec 2025
                                                                        Gilles Peterson + Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) + Special GuestsAn evening of conversation, music and visuals 7.30-10pm Thu 18 Dec 2025 at The American...
                                                                          • EARLY BIRD Live Event E-Ticket£10.00
                                                                            In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                          The Way U Make Me Feel: UK Boogie & Street Soul, 1980-1994Freestyle Records
                                                                          Freestyle Records compile a killer overview of rare & undersung UK street soul & boogie tracks from across the 80s and early 90s, selected from the creme...