I am pleased Stuart Newton is thinking deeply about racism and how it affects us all (Letters, August 18).

It is precisely due to the lack of open discussion and debate around race issues that, sadly, prejudices and misconceived thoughts continue. In response, I raise three key points.

Firstly, what is racism?

Professionals refer to the Stephen Lawrence inquiry definition (1999) "conduct or words which advantage or disadvantage people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. In its subtle form it is as damaging as in its more overt form".

Others discuss power relationships between "white" people and "minority ethnic" people.

Brighton and Hove's police and local authority, however, state anyone can be a victim or perpetrator of a racist incident, regardless of ethnicity or religious background.

The belief is that "inter-ethnic conflict is an example of racism and therefore morally wrong and illegal".

Secondly, racism in the UK does not have quite the smooth trajectory depicted by Mr Newton.

Racism has always been an issue for all people (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry). Today, we are witnessing the growth in awareness of racisms, plural, rather than something new.

The history of racism goes beyond Enoch Powell's Rivers Of Blood speech (1968) or when Jamaicans arrived in Britain (1948) or even when India's wounded soldiers were treated in Brighton during the First World War.

Between 1700 and 1810, nearly three million people were transported across the Atlantic from West Africa. This scarred the African diaspora and is reflected in today's international race relations with national and local repercussions.

Finally, Mr Newton appears unaware of the Racial Harassment Forum. I share concerns about lack of information and there is a dearth of research on many issues in Britain.

Who will do this work? Particularly when, every day, people are getting attacked and even murdered simply because they appear to be different.

There are no easy answers but that is precisely why we need to keep engaging with each other.

-Sharon Otoo, policy co-ordinator, Brighton and Hove Racial Harassment Forum