Doreen Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Doreen Lawrence OBE (born 24 October 1952) is a prominent British
human rights
campaigner dedicated to securing justice for the victims of racially motivated crime and police misconduct. She first came to public attention in 1993 as the mother of Stephen Lawrence
, a black British
teenager who was murdered in a suspected racial attack in south-east London
.
of Jamaica
in 1952. At the age of nine, she immigrated to England
. She completed her education in south-east London, before becoming a bank worker. In 1972, she married Neville Lawrence and their son Stephen was born in 1974.
investigation was not being conducted in a professional manner, citing incompetence and racism as prime flaws. In 1999 After years of campaigning, (with the support of many in the community, the media and politics), a wide-ranging judicial inquiry was established by Jack Straw
, the Home Secretary
. Chaired by Sir William MacPherson the inquiry was to investigate the circumstances of Stephen's death. The public inquiry was the subject of intense media interest which became international when it concluded that the Metropolitan Police was 'institutionally racist
' and that this was one of the primary causes of their failure to solve the case.
and the Police Service, and she is a member of both the board and the council of Liberty
, the human rights organization, as well as being a patron of hate crime charity Stop Hate UK. On 22 May 2009, Doreen Lawrence visited Countesthorpe Community College
to speak to the students about the aftermath of the murder of her son.
's 1998 painting No Woman No Cry
is a portrait of Doreen Lawrence crying; in each tear is an image of her son. It was part of Ofili's Turner Prize
exhibition, and now hangs in the Tate
Gallery.
In 1999 Doreen was played by the oscar-nominated actress Marianne Jean Baptiste in the TV docudrama The Murder of Stephen Lawrence.
In 2000 Doreen featured in a double portrait exhibited at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich, London.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
campaigner dedicated to securing justice for the victims of racially motivated crime and police misconduct. She first came to public attention in 1993 as the mother of Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
, a black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
teenager who was murdered in a suspected racial attack in south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Early life
Doreen was born in the British crown colonyCrown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1952. At the age of nine, she immigrated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She completed her education in south-east London, before becoming a bank worker. In 1972, she married Neville Lawrence and their son Stephen was born in 1974.
Murder of Stephen Lawrence
Following the murder of their son in 1993, Doreen and Neville believed that the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
investigation was not being conducted in a professional manner, citing incompetence and racism as prime flaws. In 1999 After years of campaigning, (with the support of many in the community, the media and politics), a wide-ranging judicial inquiry was established by Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
, the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
. Chaired by Sir William MacPherson the inquiry was to investigate the circumstances of Stephen's death. The public inquiry was the subject of intense media interest which became international when it concluded that the Metropolitan Police was 'institutionally racist
Institutional racism
Institutional racism describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations , and universities . The term was coined by Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s...
' and that this was one of the primary causes of their failure to solve the case.
Public life
In the aftermath of the inquiry, Mrs Lawrence continued to campaign for justice for Stephen as well as for other victims of racist crime. She has also worked to secure further reforms of the police service. In 2003 she was awarded an OBE for services to community relations. She founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in order to promote a positive community legacy in her son's name. Doreen Lawrence has been selected to sit on panels within the Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
and the Police Service, and she is a member of both the board and the council of Liberty
Liberty (pressure group)
Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its formal name is the National Council for Civil Liberties . Founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith , the group campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights...
, the human rights organization, as well as being a patron of hate crime charity Stop Hate UK. On 22 May 2009, Doreen Lawrence visited Countesthorpe Community College
Countesthorpe Community College
Countesthorpe Community College is a upper school situated on the western edge of Countesthorpe in Leicestershire near the A426-History:When the school first opened its doors in the 1970s, its informal learning environment caused controversy, with much interest from national press. Many features of...
to speak to the students about the aftermath of the murder of her son.
Popular culture
Chris OfiliChris Ofili
Chris Ofili is a Turner Prize winning British painter best known for artworks referencing aspects of his Nigerian heritage, particularly his incorporation of elephant dung. He was one of the Young British Artists, and is now based in Trinidad.-Early life:Ofilli was born in Manchester. He had a...
's 1998 painting No Woman No Cry
No Woman No Cry (painting)
No Woman No Cry is a painting created by Chris Ofili in 1998. It was one of the works included in the exhibition which won him the Turner Prize that year . The Financial Times has described it as "[h]is masterpiece".The painting is in mixed media, including acrylic paint, oil paint, and polyester...
is a portrait of Doreen Lawrence crying; in each tear is an image of her son. It was part of Ofili's Turner Prize
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
exhibition, and now hangs in the Tate
Tate
-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
Gallery.
In 1999 Doreen was played by the oscar-nominated actress Marianne Jean Baptiste in the TV docudrama The Murder of Stephen Lawrence.
In 2000 Doreen featured in a double portrait exhibited at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich, London.