This Saturday, 22 April, is Stephen Lawrence Day. It is also the 30th anniversary of his unprovoked and racist murder in Eltham.
Stephen Lawrence was a teenager when he was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993. In 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that from 2019, April 22 would officially be recognised as Stephen Lawrence Day. The day is marked officially in the British calendar as a celebration of Stephen’s life and legacy.
At the university, we have a close relationship with the Lawrence family. Stephen’s mother, Baroness Lawrence was studying with us at the time of Stephen’s murder, and she is also a former member of staff. In addition, both Baroness Lawrence and Stephen’s brother, the Honourable Stuart Lawrence, hold honorary degrees from the university.
In March, The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre hosted their third 'In Conversation series'. The university was invited to take part in the panel - 'South East London as a place and space in making of race, racism, and anti-racism in the UK' - with speakers including Dr Myrtle Emmanuel and Professor Louise Owusu-Kwarteng.
We understand that universities have a crucial role to play in examining their own historical, political and social existence as part of the fight to combat institutional racism. As an institution, we have put inclusivity at the centre of everything we do which includes the implementation of the race action plan launched last year.
#StephenLawrenceDayPledge
This week, our alumni social media (@greenwichalumni) channels will be marking Stephen’s life and legacy. This year, the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation is asking everyone to commit to taking one action on Stephen Lawrence Day that will positively impact the lives of young people from marginalised backgrounds.
Please consider making a #StephenLawrenceDayPledge and sharing it on social media – the below images can be downloaded for use on social media, simply click the link and save the file to your device:
