A series of university-based events organised by the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, to mark the 30th anniversary of the teenager’s racist murder, comes to a conclusion next week at the University of Greenwich.
Stephen Lawrence was just 19 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.
The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, based at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Leicester (Æß²ÊÖ±²¥), was officially opened by Stephen’s mother, and former Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ chancellor, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, in 2019.
The SLRC is spearheading a series of national events and approached the University of Greenwich six months ago to play a part in a ‘Remembering Stephen Lawrence 30 years on: SLRC In Conversation Series’.
This has culminated in the upcoming free event on Wednesday 29th March at 6pm, when a panel will discuss the effect and reverberations of living in, and through, the spectre of Stephen’s legacy and its impact on the everyday places and spaces of South-East London.
Previous events have been held at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ and at the University of Manchester.
The panel will be chaired by Dr Lisa Palmer, the SLRC’s Interim Director and Dr Yusef Bakkali, who grew up in Brixton and is one of the SLRC’s Senior Legacy in Action Research Fellows.
Speakers include Dr Myrtle Emmanuel and Professor Louise Owusu-Kwarteng from University of Greenwich. They will be joined by Professor William Lez Henry, from the University of West London, and Suresh Grover, who is Co-Director of The Monitoring Group, a leading anti-racist charity that promotes civil rights.
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The panel will reflect upon the locality of South-East London in the making of anti-racist political activism including the campaign in support of the Lawrence family as well as the historical and political significance of the Black People’s Day of Action following the New Cross Fire and their impact on the everyday lives of local people and communities.
Dr Palmer said: “This third and final event has been inspired by material from the Stephen Lawrence Archive at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ which helped shed light on the significance of Greenwich and south east London as a location in the struggle against anti-racist activism.
“We thought it was only right to host this conversation in this part of London to remember and honour Stephen and other victims of racist violence.
“We truly value the commitment, enthusiasm and support of colleagues at the University of Greenwich for this event.”
The SLRC is working in partnership with Baroness Lawrence’s to mark the 30th anniversary of Stephen’s death with further national commemorations planned to recognise his ongoing legacy.
This includes plans for a major event on the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ campus in April, prior to Stephen Lawrence Day. Schools across the country are also taking part in ‘Hopeful Futures: SL30 Creative Challenge’ which involves thousands of pupils across the UK sparking conversations around how they might imagine a time when love, care, change, friendship and acceptance of each other are the norm.
The creations will culminate in a special exhibition at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s Leicester Gallery, opening in April in time for the anniversary.
The University of Greenwich is also working closely with the .
Baroness Lawrence is part of the Greenwich alumni community as well as a former member of staff and holds an honorary doctorate from the University.
Charlton Athletic Football Club and Charlton Athletic Community Trust are also working with the University of Greenwich to remember Stephen’s life and legacy as part of their annual Red, White and Black themed match.
Follow @SLRCÆß²ÊÖ±²¥ on Twitter to find out more about getting involved.
And visit this link to read more about the SLRC and its work
Posted on Thursday 23 March 2023