Baroness Lawrence OBE BA Humanities, 1995 | PGCert Therapeutic Counselling, 1999 | HonDUniv, 2006
Stephen Lawrence grew up in southeast London and wanted to become an architect. Stephen was talented at mathematics, art and design. With architecture he could combine these talents and do something impactful.
Tragically, Stephen did not get that opportunity. In 1993, when Stephen was only eighteen years old he was murdered in a racially motivated attack that shocked the nation.
His mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, tirelessly campaigned for justice for her son, leading to a public inquiry that catalysed significant shifts in societal attitudes towards racism, law enforcement, and policing. In 1999, the Macpherson Inquiry concluded that the police investigation into Stephen's murder had been marked by institutional racism.
The report made a series of recommendations to address these issues, calling for reform within the police force and the legal system. This watershed moment marked a turning point in the way the UK addressed issues of racism, prompting a national conversation about equality, diversity, and the need for systemic change.
Baroness Lawrence was awarded the OBE for services to community relations in 2003 and was made a life peer in the House of Lords in 2013. Baroness Lawrence founded the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation to honour Stephen's legacy and empower young minds from diverse backgrounds.
Pictured Left: Baroness Lawrence, Greenwich Portrait Official Greenwich portrait of Baroness Doreen Lawrence OBE. She leans to the left with her elbow resting on a windowsill. Pictured in the Pained Hall, Old Royal Naval College.
Pictured Right: 'Mother and Son Reunion' painting by Jennifer Lewis, 2000. Painting of Stephen and Doreen Lawrence titled 'Mother and Son Reunion' by artist Jennifer Lewis 2000
The Right Honourable Stuart Lawrence HonDUniv, 2022
The Right Honourable Stuart Lawrence is an author, coach, public speaker and youth engagement specialist. As the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, the British teenager murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993, he has spent much of his life campaigning for racism awareness.
He has worked closely with the University of Greenwich for a number of years through his work at the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, particularly around the promotion of Stephen Lawrence Day each year on April 22nd.
Stuart is the author of a children’s book ‘Silence is Not an Option’, which is interspersed with reflections on his brother’s life and murder. He has also had a 15-year career as a secondary school teacher in southwest London and has worked for the Home Office and HM Prison Belmarsh. In 2024 it was announced that Stuart would become a Patron of the Black Curriculum.
Pictured: The Rt Hon Stuart Lawrence at Honorary Degree Ceremony, University of Greenwich 2022