How to have a meaningful debate about racism? We asked 20,000 people, and this is what we found

The conversation is stuck: you're either playing the race card' or in denial'. But here's a way to break through

The national conversation on racism seems to be stuck in an endless loop. We all know the routine: a public debate is sparked by a news story that features a case of alleged bigotry. It might be reports that an Asian cricketer was nicknamed Bomber"; or that a member of the royal family is said to have questioned a baby's skin colour. Whatever it is, the inciting incident then sets the parameters of all the discussion to follow. An array of loud and angry voices appears on media panel shows or radio phone-ins, suggesting what might or might not have occurred (no one knows for certain), and whether or not any of it is racist (everyone is certain that it either is, or it isn't).

And so, instead of the nuances of racial inequality being understood, the issue is portrayed as a simple matter of people saying or doing bad things to each other, and we get a tiresome to and fro between those playing the race card" and others in denial". Many of us just tune out, while the overall issue of racism in society - a real problem in need of an urgent solution - remains unaddressed.