In the lead-up to the 10 year anniversary of the publication of the Lawrence Inquiry Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, we have to ask ourselves if the context in which we all live now has changed for the better and if so, have things changed enough. Could Stephen's tragic death take place today, and if so, could - like in Stephen's case - there be no justice over 15 years on?
By sheer coincidence, 7 Go West (7GW) were on the same flight as Doreen Lawrence, Stephen's mother, who herself has inspired so many people with a message of hope. Another fortuitous coincidence is that Doreen is staying with her brother, who lives only 5 minutes away from the 7GW Headquarter; at Auntie Joyce's in Bowie.
Although Doreen herself would certainly not adhere to this claim, adorned with a modesty that anyone who meets her can testify to, (most recently Ted Carter- Executive Managing Director of Global Corporate Services at the Public Institution and Education Solutions) in many people's view, Doreen has been the single most influential black Briton in recent living memory.
By sheer perseverance, and the dogged determination that only those with an understanding of filial love can understand, Doreen has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (SLCT). In the memory of Stephen, the SLCT provides social capital for young people who have none; If they have a dream to be an architect, or work in the discipline of the built environment, then the Trust can help.
As Doreen put it, at the opening in January of the Stephen Lawrence Centre:
"I hope the Centre will become a magnet for aspiring young people, who want to break the cycle of negative stereotyping, giving them the vision to shape theor won futures by setting themselves clear goals, gaining new skills, and staying positive."
Policies which were put in place instigated by the civil rights movement here in the US allowed Barack Hussein Obama, a mixed race child raised by a single mother, to access the most prestigious academic institions, not just be virtue of being a 'person of colour', but because he was smart and deserving of it. A level playing field, justice and equal access to services was sought by the dispossessed before, and he reaped the benefits of what the generations before him fought and died for, these emotions exemplified by the tears of the Reverand Jesse Jackson during Barack's acceptance speech.
It has been 10 years since a ground-breaking Inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, where the term 'institutionally racist' entered into our collective consciousness- a seminal movemnet in the history of British Race Relations. The SLCT is givng those young people who wish to pursue a career in architecture and the built environmnet who would normally not have the 'right' background and the know how to see those desires come into fruition and a chance to succeed. But what of the issues and recommendations highlighted in the Inquiry- have we been able to equal out the playing field, are we meeting out true justice that is colour blind and impartial?
Barack Obama gaining the presidency is really only the beginning of his journey; his mother and the mentors who made sacrifices and pushed for him to succed have served him well, and the real work for him begins now. Doreen and others who fought for the Inquiry, who kept the issues alive and in the public domain have served us well, and so OUR work also begins now. A decade after the inquiry, black people are 7 times more likely to be stopped and serached, the police force is still not representative of the communities that it serves, black and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented at every stage of the criminal justice system, and young males are still under-achieving in the education system. Over the course of the next few months, various reports will be published, outlining how far we have come in relation to the recommendation and what will become clear is the vast amount of work yet to be done. The time has come for the gauntlet to be passed onto us to push for change.
WE IS THE NEW ME!
