Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, OBE

Overview of Event

• Goldman Sachs "Talks at GS" event hosted by Kyle Williams (Head of EMEA Corporate Finance and Consumer Banking Legal Group) featuring Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
• The firm supports Lawrence's work as a UK recipient of its fund for Racial Equity and hosts interns via the Stephen Lawrence Scholarship.

Impact of Coronavirus on BAME Communities

• Lawrence led a Labour Party review based on direct testimony from over 200 affected individuals and families, with a report expected in early September.
• Shielding protocols have created food insecurity for some due to religious dietary restrictions and a lack of culturally specific food delivery options.
• Vitamin D supplementation advice remains unscientific and confusing for many within the community.
• Standard-sized Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) often fails to fit medical staff of diverse ethnic backgrounds, posing safety risks.

Historical Context and Stephen Lawrence Case

• Lawrence moved from Jamaica to the UK at age nine; she reported minimal personal racism in her youth compared to her brothers' experiences in a mixed community.
• Her son, Stephen Lawrence (18), was an outgoing, athletic, and academic young man who aspired to be an architect and loved music and drawing.
• Stephen and his friend Duwayne Brooks were attacked on April 22, 1993, near Grove Park; Stephen died, and the first witness to see Lawrence arrive at the hospital was his brother, Neville.
• Police initially failed to identify the family or speak to them, leading to a perception of institutional indifference.
• The private prosecution initiated by the Lawrence family in 1996 resulted in a not guilty verdict because the judge excluded key video evidence of the suspects' confessions.

Judicial and Legislative Reforms

• The 1999 Macpherson Inquiry revealed systemic racism in the police and led to two critical legal changes:
  • Race Relations Act Amendment: Previously, the police were exempt from the Act; the amendment allowed authorities to be prosecuted for racial discrimination.
  • Criminal Justice Act (Double Jeopardy): The clause preventing retrial after an acquittal was scrapped, allowing cases to be reopened if "new and compelling evidence" is presented.
• These reforms enabled the conviction of Gary Dobson in 2012, over 15 years after Stephen's death, based on new evidence regarding the original suspects' actions.

Ongoing Racism and Parallel Global Issues

• Lawrence draws direct parallels between UK police behavior and US incidents, noting that "when America sneezes, Britain catches a cold."
• Recent UK incidents, such as a policeman kneeling on a Black citizen's neck, mirror the tactics used against George Floyd.
• Racial profiling persists, evidenced by the 2020 stop-and-search of Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner, and the recent detention of an athlete driving a nice car.
• Unlike the US, UK police do not carry guns; Lawrence posits that gun ownership by UK officers could lead to a higher number of young Black men being murdered.

Recommendations for Police Reform

• Lawrence argues that current police recruitment allows officers to join at 18 with minimal education, resulting in a lack of understanding regarding colonialism, Black history, and national contributions during the World Wars.
• The College of Policing currently focuses on "inspector level" experience rather than addressing the root educational deficits that contribute to bias.
• She asserts that without comprehensive historical and social education, police forces and the wider population will continue to perpetrate discrimination.

Advocacy and Philanthropy

• The Stephen Lawrence Scholarship provides internships in legal departments, while the charity focuses on placing young Black people into architecture and law, professions where representation remains low.
• Lawrence launched "Stephen Lawrence Day" in 2018 (announced to then-PM Theresa May) to be observed in schools and communities to honor Stephen's legacy.
• The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation was established to further the charity's mission and ensure Stephen is remembered as a role model.

Future Outlook and Hopes

• Lawrence identifies legislative changes (including double jeopardy and police training protocols) and the Stephen Lawrence Scholarship as key achievements, though she emphasizes a preference for Stephen's survival over any legal reform.
• She cites the global momentum of Black Lives Matter and calls for the government to prioritize educational reform to prevent future discrimination.
• Her primary hope is that her three grandchildren and all children can grow up in a society free from racism, able to live with pride and without the stigma of racial profiling.