Following a long history of racial violence, the British government in 1981 conducted an inquiry into the problem and found that black people were 50 to 60 times more likely than white people to be the victims of racially-motivated attacks. Although many racial attacks are not reported to the police, this report presents some statistics on the nature and extent of racial violence in Britain, discussing fatal attacks, bomb and arson attacks, persistent harassment and abuse, attacks in schools and on young people, and other serious incidents. This author maintains that the police response to racial violence has been characterized by delays in responding, denial of racial motives, an unwillingness to prosecute assailants, mistreatment of victims, and unnecessary special measures. There is also little evidence that local housing authorities have pursued any effective measures in stemming this problem. The extremist right in Britain has also contributed to the problem of racial violence. The history of racial violence in Britain has been paralleled by the history of self-defense among black communities. The author concludes that the overall climate of racial relations in the country, as influenced by politicians and the media, has been hostile to anti-racist initiatives and more supportive of increased attacks. A final section provides updated data from 1986 through 1990. 38 references