London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

Stephen Lawrence’s legacy honoured at memorial 30 years after his racist murder

Stephen Lawrence’s legacy honoured at memorial 30 years after his racist murder

The black teenager’s family was joined by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the memorial.

Stephen Lawrence’s mother said his “story remains as important and relevant as ever” as a memorial service was held in central London to mark the 30th anniversary of the teenager’s death.

The murder victim’s family gathered for the anniversary at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also attended.

Sir Keir made a short speech and read a poem by Maya Angelou at the request of Stephen’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

The anniversary comes after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for failings in the aftermath of the killing, with the force’s response to the investigation being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

Stephen was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, after he was set upon by a gang of white youths shouting racial slurs and brandishing weapons.

The bungled original investigation hampered by racism and alleged police corruption meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-old’s five killers to be brought to justice, with three never prosecuted.

Stephen Lawrence


The date of his death is now marked by Stephen Lawrence Day each year.

Sir Keir told the memorial that “contrasted against the very worst side of Britain, Stephen represented the best”, as he lamented the loss of “a life which shone with the light of potential”.

He was director of public prosecutions when two of Mr Lawrence’s killers were brought to justice.

Speaking outside the church, Mr Khan continued his assertion that the Metropolitan Police Service remains “institutionally racist”.

He told the PA news agency: “We’re here today to celebrate and remember Stephen Lawrence’s life, his legacy but also the extraordinary work that’s taken place by his family, Doreen Lawrence and by their team and address the issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.

“It’s 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered, I remember it well as a south Londoner.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence attends a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the murder of her son Stephen


“For those of us who are people of colour it had a ripple effect on us, ripples of hate but also the appalling way that the family was let down by the Met Police Service, by the media and by some politicians.

“Thirty years on, we’ve not made the progress we’d hope to have made.

“It’s really important that we recognise that 30 years on, Dame Louise Casey has found the Met Police to still be institutionally racist, we can’t ignore that or equivocate on that, we’ve got to make progress.”

The Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police published last month found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

Sir Mark admitted on Friday that the Metropolitan Police “did not dig deep enough” to root out racism since Mr Lawrence’s murder.

The Met commissioner said a failure to robustly confront “cultural and systemic” failings, which were exposed by the force’s response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to “finally” make the Met determinedly anti-racist.

Baroness Lawrence said her son’s “story remains as important and relevant as ever” 30 years after his death, adding that she is “filled with immense pride to witness all that has been achieved in his name”.

“From launching education initiatives to opening up career pathways and inspiring community engagement, Stephen’s legacy has touched countless young lives and moved us closer towards a more just and equitable society”, she said in a statement.

“Yet, we must also acknowledge the work still to be done.

“Inequality persists, and our mission to create a world free from discrimination continues”.

She said “we will ensure that Stephen’s legacy endures, inspiring change and uniting us in the pursuit of justice and equity for all”.

Earlier this week, she told the BBC that “nothing much has changed” within the Metropolitan Police in the 30 years since her son was murdered.

Jessica Neil, chief executive of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, said the anniversary was “an incredibly difficult time” for Mr Lawrence’s loved ones but said she was “feeling hopeful for the next 30 years”.

She told PA: “Today I’m feeling hopeful. This service, Stephen Lawrence Day more broadly and the wider community that support us, it’s such a powerful demonstration of what can happen when ordinary people come together and demand extraordinary change.

“I think the anniversary of Stephen’s death is an incredibly difficult time for the family, but focusing that into the foundation and the work that we do gives a sense of hope and hope that we can transform Stephen’s legacy that continues to deliver change for the next 30 years.”

She said the teenager’s legacy is one of “hope and change”.

She added: “He was an ordinary young man who’s life and death has inspired extraordinary change in the fabric of British society and so his legacy is one of hope and change and inspiring other young people like him to fulfil the breadth and depth of their potential.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×