Stephen Lawrence: The legacy

No one could have known that the brutal murder of a talented young man twenty years ago today would have such far reaching consequences both here in the UK and around the world.

The death of a loved one is always traumatic, but for Doreen and Neville Lawrence this was to be compounded by a Metropolitan police force who would view their son not as a victim but as a potential criminal.

At the time of Stephen’s death, a prevailing thought within the Met police was that this was just another gang related crime, perhaps groups fighting over their drug turfs. Duwayne Brookes, Stephen’s best friend who was with him during that awful night, later stated that the police then and for many years treated him with suspicion and contempt.

But it was the fight for their son’s justice that catapulted both Doreen and Neville to become unlikely heroes and expose the deep seated racism embedded not just within law enforcement agencies across the country but throughout many of our public and civic bodies.

There were other heroes too written large in the Stephen Lawrence story: Paul Dacre, the Daily Mail editor and friend of Neville Lawrence, who bravely told the world who Stephen’s five murderers were. Other heroes included Nelson Mandela, Bernie Grant, Diane Abbot, Baroness Ross Howells and Paul Boateng, all of whom demanded action including the call to the then Shadow Home Secretary Jack Straw, for a Public Inquiry. Lawyers and activists also played their part: Imran Khan, Michael Mansfield QC, Suresh Grover and Lee Jasper, all of whom vociferously and relentless campaigned for justice for Stephen.

The Public Inquiry, promised and delivered by Tony Blair’s Labour Government would lay bare just how the police and many of our institutions negatively viewed Black people in general. A prevailing myth within the police force, for example was that there was no racism, just the ‘odd bad apple’, which the Inquiry truly exposed as false. The Met police were not only racist, to varying degrees, but the Inquiry also uncovered a number  of corrupt officers who were colluding with criminal gangs connected to the murder suspects.

Recommendations from the Inquiry forced the Government to make dramatic and widespread legislative changes, which would put the UK at the forefront of honestly dealing with the more subtle, yet pervasive forms of racism. The UK became a beacon to the world on how to promote race equality: The Police began to change; institutions reflected on the fact that they had little or no BME representation at senior levels. Political parties were willing to positively engage in the debate to ensure more BME individuals came through Parliament. Things were getting better.

But by 2005 all that changed. We already had 2001 Sept 11th bombings, followed by the war in Afghanistan. Then the London bombings in 2005 would ensure that the focus in tackling race inequality was dropped with the attention on the radicalization of some Muslims. The Government’s ‘Prevent’ agenda became the only game town. The small gains that the legislative changes had made would quickly be pushed back.

Tackling race inequality today is almost seen as dirty words. Comments on national newspaper blogs even today state ‘We’re bored of this now’, ‘Can’t we move on’. The conviction last year of the two of the five suspects briefly brought a review of the intervening 19 years, but the Government’s response to persistent race inequalities has been poor.

Whilst it is true to say there has been gains, particularly to a more representative Parliament, and in society today in which racial abuse and insults are no longer acceptable, but other key factors make poor reading. Black Stop and Search figures, for example, are higher now than 20 years ago. Black youth unemployment is more than twice the national average, and the Public sector cuts are hitting Black communities much harder than other communities.

The Stephen Lawrence legacy will be that of a  tenacious family, Black politicians and activists who together shook up the system and forced it to change. For a short moment, we led the world how positive action would help communities and institutions flourish. Stephen’s legacy tells us though, that without continued political will and due diligence, those gains can be quickly eroded.

On this 20 year anniversary and reflection, we first and foremost lament about the senseless killing of a young man who had his whole life to live . We should double our demand that our Government take stock of the policies which are disproportionately impacting Black communities and revisit those positive race equality initiatives, many of which have been consigned to the long grass.

Stephen’s death must not be in vain.

Simon Woolley