Bernie Grant Supports Stephen Lawrence Campaign

Bernie Grant Supports Stephen Lawrence Campaign


Theme(s): Stephen Lawrence

Keystage: KS4

How to use this resource: Although

BGA reference: BG/P/13/2/2

This image of Bernie Grant was taken on  (insert date) at (insert location). Bernie was from the start a vocal supporter of an inquiry into the police’s mishandling of the investigation into Stephen’s death at a time when the Conservative government refused to consider one.  

Bernie Grant was from the start a vocal supporter of an inquiry into the police’s mishandling of the investigation into Stephen’s death at a time when the Conservative Government refused to consider one and though he welcomed the report he sounded a note of caution. On the 24th February 1999 and in oral answers to questions in House of Commons, Bernie Grant stated that:

 

‘We have been here before. I remember being very optimistic in 1981, after the Scarman inquiry. We thought that it was a watershed and that things would change, but 18 years later—I have read both reports—we are back to almost the same recommendations that the Scarman inquiry made. This is a last chance for British society to tackle racism and to push for racial equality. The black community is giving British society a last chance. Although I agree with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister that institutional racism occurs throughout society, the police have the power to remove one’s freedom and we have to be especially careful about how they operate’ Bernie Grant MP February 1999

 

His biggest criticism was the way the report stated that the police were ‘unwittingly’ institutionally racist because it implies that they were not consciously setting out to do any wrong and as such gives them a ‘free pass’ and did not address the need to work, listen and bring together the communities involved and affected.

How this artefact can support your teaching and students’ learning

Although the tragic death of Stephen Lawrence is linked to many parts of the curriculum, what comes through the artefacts are the values of democracy and justice. MPs such as Bernie Grant have to weigh up what is fair and unfair in different situations, understanding that justice is fundamental to a democratic society and exploring the role of law in maintaining order and resolving conflicts. The case highlights how people and institutions had to question, engage with and reflect on different ideas, opinions, beliefs and values when exploring controversial issues and problems, especially when they remain topical.

Citizenship KS4/GCSE and A-Level Politics
  • Understanding the need for mutual respect and understanding in a diverse society and the values that underpin democratic society.
  • Students should look at how values change and consider the importance of certain values in a diverse and democratic society.
  • Looking at the opportunities and barriers to citizen participation in democracy and the range of actions a citizen can take who wishes to hold those in power to account. Barriers may include such issues as access to information, ability to influence decisions, or simply lack interest or motivation.
  • The death of Stephen Lawrence can be used as a case study to help develop understanding.
  • Recognising the nature of rules and laws in helping society to deal with complex problems of fairness, justice and discrimination.
  • Students can seek to develop an understanding of the concepts relating to the application of the law through the case and concepts of fairness, justice and discrimination.
  • This can be taken further by investigating the role of the police regarding criminal and civil law matters and secondly the legal procedures by which civil and criminal matters are dealt with by the court system.
  • This can lead to looking at the difference between civil and criminal courts.
  • To uncover the role of MPs, how they represent their constituencies and the House of Commons debating policy and how they scrutinise legislation.
  • The case, particularly the different views on an inquiry, can be used to explore the different attitudes that main political parties have had to dealing with questions of injustice and policing.
  • Case can also be used to highlight how community-based action/active and engaged citizenship can create change.
History GCSE and A-Level
  • Understanding how the activism that was behind the campaign by the family and friends of Stephen Lawrence
  • Hhighlights the experiences of disadvantaged communities and limitations of and is linked to the never-ending debate over immigration, ‘multi-cultural society’, the political and criminal justice system, racism and the impact of race relations and equality legislation.
  • The case opens up the experience and actions of disadvantaged communities both positive and negative such as community cohesion and contribution, and resistance to discrimination.
Sociology GCSE/A-Level and GCSE Media
  • Explaining the factors affecting social inequality in relation to gender, ethnicity and age and the reasons why there inequality between different social groups.
  • The case can be used to describe changing patterns of inequality relating to social class, gender, ethnicity and age linked to the sociological reasons for patterns of inequality relating to crime, wealth, family and the media.
  • It also promotes an understanding of notions of social justice, and the respect and awareness of diversity in today’s UK.
  • As a historical case, it can provide a platform to investigate whether inequality in contemporary UK is becoming more significant in recent years
English KS3, GCSE Literature, A-Level Literature
  • Exploring the work of poets Benjamin Zephaniah through the poem What Stephen Lawrence Has Taught Us and Carol Ann Duffy through the poem Stephen Lawrence to understand increasingly challenging texts, read critically, make an informed personal response and appreciate the depth and power of poetry, as required from KS3 – KS4.
  • Both poets also feature at GCSE and Carol Ann Duffy at A-Level. Benjamin Zephaniah explores what it means to be black and British through a system of systemic racism. Whereas Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry drills deep into the core of the most complex human experiences and how love and grief resonance of one in the other.

There are other poems that explore Stephen Lawrence such as:

I Am Nobody’s Nigger by Dean Atta

Stephen Lawrence by Anton Raes

Stephen Lawrence isn’t on the National Curriculum by Josephine Corcoran

In addition, poetry can also be used as a context for teaching the complexities of knife and youth crime in a more personal and creative way.

Law A-Level

  • Focusing on the nature of law the case can be used to develop and explore the wider and understanding of how the law interacts with morality, justice and society by considering the changing nature of law, the English legal system and its legal rules and principles, concepts and issues.
  • The case also highlights human rights, including their nature, protection and constitutional position under UK law.

Linking the artefacts to the present day

  • Unsolved murders that disproportionately affect African, Caribbean, Asian and minority ethnic people in particular men is still high
  • There has been an increase in youth and knife crime across the UK and bringing the perpetrators to justice is still very slow, if it happens at all
  • Institutional racism is now an accepted word but many public bodies from the judiciary to the NHS as well as private companies have since fallen under the spotlight
  • Many of the recommendations of the Macpherson report and the Scarman report prior to that have still not been fully realised or implemented
  • Stereotyping minority communities (eg Muslims) as perpetrators of crime versus victims of crime,