This short film contains language that may cause offence. Teacher review is recommended prior to use in class.
Male Crewmember:
And turn the red light on鈥 erm鈥 want to start in 1993.
Doreen Lawrence:
Stephen had completed his GCSE and he was just about to embark on his A-Levels. He had a life not just in death, but before.
Stuart Lawrence:
We were just a regular family, like all the regular families along our street. We saw people as people and it was hard, after Stephen was murdered, because I then came aware of鈥 race and about differences.
TITLE SEQUENCE
Mat Bickley:
Stephen, he was a very ordinary kid and he had this disarmingly big grin.
Neville Lawrence: (Archive):
[LAUGHS]
Mat Bickley:
Our peers were鈥 black and white. So, race was very much something that we were aware of, but it was more, something that our parents had fought the good fight, to make it less of an issue for us.
Doreen Lawrence:
Growing up in the Caribbean, a lot of people have a pet name that they're called. My family would call me Joy, and I didn't know my name was Doreen until I went to school.
Male Journalist 1 (Archive):
Since the early 1950s, coloured immigrants from the Commonwealth have come in much greater numbers. They've come in search of better jobs, and a better life for their families.
Doreen Lawrence:
I understand my mother left when I was about two? Her husband-to-be sent for her.
Male Journalist 1 (Archive):
20-odd years ago, it was quite rare to see a negro.
Female, Black Hair (Archive):
But you see, when I came in 49, there weren't so many coloured people. Your eyes were geared to looking for a coloured face in the street. The only ones we used to see then were Sikhs. I think that's how you pronounce it.
Male Journalist 1 (Archive):
They create an atmosphere of foreignness.
Doreen Lawrence:
After my grandmother died, that's when I came here. I was nine. And, by the time I got to secondary school, there was quite a large mix of black girls. Most of my friends were black, but I didn't look at it as, "I'm black and they're white". I didn't have that sense that I was an outsider, like my brothers did. I just think that sometime women don't always experience it the same way as men.
Neville Lawrence:
I used to listen to names being called. People used to make jokes about banana back then, y'know, I didn't take notice of what people said or what they called me; it didn't make any difference to me.
Neville Lawrence:
Doreen, I saw her the first time, I would think about getting married to somebody.
Doreen Lawrence:
Looking back on it, I got married two weeks after my 20th birthday. Looking back on it now, how would you get married so young? But at the time, in the 70s, that's what happened.
Neville Lawrence:
Joy. That's her pet name. She looked beautiful, the wedding photograph.
Doreen Lawrence:
And Neville looked like one of those guys from the 'Four Tops' and Neville was very tall. And then when Stephen came along, life was fine. Nursery, he loved nursery and school鈥 Stephen got on at school really well. He was just one of these kids who would just thrive at everything. But鈥 I was a very strict mum鈥 and he used to say to me, "Mum, you care too much".
Marion Turner:
In the days when I lived next door to Doreen, I just remember that it was really nice to meet a nice family that, y'know, had got children the same ages as ours.
Stuart Lawrence:
We all went to the same school, a diverse school, and then after school, at weekends, we all hanged around together as friends, as neighbours. Race and identity, that was never something that was really highlighted.
Mat Bickley:
Stephen didn't experience the sense fo difference growing up that I experienced. My parents were very political and, y'know, being of mixed heritage, I was made to be aware of race and politics.
Mat Bickley:
When I went to secondary school, y'know, there were tribes. On the playground, kids from different races didn't necessarily automatically mix.
Boy, Brown Hair, Bloody Lip (Archive):
Oh, no. Now what?
Mat Bickley:
But, three or four years later, even, I don't think Stephen had that experience. He went to a cosmopolitan secondary school. I don't think his generation鈥 saw themselves as different from their peers.
Mat Bickley:
Stephen, he was very much an integrated individual.
Mat Bickley:
I just remember that London felt quite inclusive, actually; it felt quite positive, felt quite cosmopolitan. 'Soul II Soul' were telling us to keep on moving and 'Public Enemy' were telling us to fight the power. But, leading up to Stephen's鈥 death and then, soon after, it changed, radically.
Male, Brown Hair, Beard, Glasses (Archive):
Put the British people first. Stop immigration, start repatriation.
Mat Bickley:
Much in the same way that Brexit has changed the nation, it brought back these feelings of, "Maybe I'm not part of this community, maybe I am part of the 'other', whatever that means".
Male Journalist 2 (Archive):
Extreme right wing groups like the British National Party are trying to capitalse on the rise in unemployment.
Male, Balding, Green Jacket (Archive):
In the areas just outside of London, people resent the fact that immigrants have got jobs and that they haven't got jobs.
Lee Jasper:
Anytime you stepped out the inner city area of London, then you were always, as a black person, under danger and threat in these all-white enclaves that were working class white suburbs.
Mat Bickley:
Eltham, it felt like the last stronghold of a white community that was holding onto the past. Or a perception of the past. Some kind of glory days that never existed.
Barry Nugent:
Where I live, Well Hall Road, it's not what it used to be.
Mat Bickley:
I think people would probably like to tell you that they left their doors unlocked. You used to hear that kind of鈥 conversation.
Barry Nugent:
Me mum used to. In the 30s, in the 40s. But nowadays, you can't. There's so many 'tea leafs' about - which is 'thieves' if you don't know what that is.
Mat Bickley:
I didn't have fond feelings for the place. I didn't feel comfortable there.
Jamie Evans:
You lived in Eltham, you stayed in Eltham, really. You didn't really go anywhere, you're just hanging about round there, you know what I mean? A lotta the schools around there was predominantly white. So you didn't mix with any other races really, you know, so like鈥 you didn't know different.
Marion Turner:
When Stephen got older and he had a job, I used to say to him, "Do be careful when you're coming home this late at night".
Stuart Lawrence:
I went to school, came home. My mum was away on a trip and she came back that evening.
Doreen Lawrence (Reconstruction):
Stuart?
Doreen Lawrence:
I got dressed in my nightclothes. Then went to have something to eat.
Doreen Lawrence (Reconstruction):
Did Stephen say where he was going?
Neville Lawrence (Reconstruction):
No.
Doreen Lawrence:
And it's just while I was sit there watching the news鈥
Doreen Lawrence (Reconstruction):
Yeah.
Doreen Lawrence:
鈥ou heard the door knock and鈥
Mr Shepherd (Reconstruction):
Mr Lawrence, all right? There's been a bit of a fight鈥
Doreen Lawrence:
It was just Stephen's name I heard.
Mr Shepherd (Reconstruction):
Well, me lad, Joey, says that your Stephen, he might have got hurt a bit.
Doreen Lawrence:
I saw Joey, who lives at the back and his dad. Joe just said that there was an incident happened down on Well Hall Road.
Joey Shepherd (Reconstruction):
After that, I just saw him lying on the floor.
Doreen Lawrence:
So we just thought, well, he's gone to the hospital, so let's go to the hospital, which is what we did. The nurse and doctor said that Stephen had died.
Doreen Lawrence (Reconstruction):
What?
Female Doctor (Reconstruction):
I'm so sorry鈥
Neville Lawrence (Reconstruction):
No, no, no, no, that鈥 that can't be right.
Doreen Lawrence:
That's not true.
Doreen Lawrence (Archive):
[UNSURE OF WORD] it still seems so unreal.
Doreen Lawrence:
It's something hard to when somebody tell you that 'cause you think it's a-- you're a watching or a drama. It's not real. It wasn't real.
Doreen Lawrence:
We eventually decide to go home, 'cause we didn't know what else to do. So we went home. Stuart came downstairs鈥 and erm鈥 we told him.
Stuart Lawrence:
Just quite a flood of emotions, really, at first. Confused, angry, upset.
Male Journalist 3 (Archive):
The Lawrences are appealing for calm at tomorrow's memorial service at their local church. They say Stephen will be buried in Jamaica next month, because Britain doesn't deserve him.
Doreen Lawrence:
My son had a future and they've taken that away.
Mat Bickley:
The grief鈥 the grief but also the outrage. The realisation that we don't live in this fairytale world that we've created for ourselves kind of crashing in. I've always been very proud of being from a mixed heritage; I've always been very proud of both sides of my culture, of being black and white and that never changed. But it was tested. Absolutely tested.
Reverend David Cruise (Archive):
Many of us feel ashamed to be white.
Stuart Lawrence:
Kids are questioning identity more and it's always about trying to put people in boxes and try to be part of a particular group, rather than just saying, "We're people". One of the things I get asked quite a lot now that I'm a supply teacher is that, y'know, "Where are you from, Sir?", y'know, and my usual answer is London. And they go, "Oh, no, sir, not where do you live, where are you from?" I was born in Greenwich, and they go, "Oh, no, no, no, y'know, where's your parents from?" I say, "Oh, my parents are from Jamaica". And they go, "Oh, so you're Jamaican", and I have to explain to them that I'm not Jamaican. I was born and raised in England. I'm afraid I'm Black British. That's who I see myself as.
Video summary
This short film examines attitudes towards identity, diversity and immigration in British society before the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
The Lawrence family talk about the society Stephen grew up in, highlighting the diversity and inclusiveness of his school and home life, and how race and identity was never really an issue.
This childhood is contrasted with that of Stephen's cousin's, whose parents were a lot more political. Stephen's cousin's experiences of secondary school were very different; pupils from different races didn't necessarily mix.
The political mood of London is examined in the build-up to Stephen's murder, with footage of BNP protests. The BNP had strongholds in the towns surrounding Woolwich, where Stephen grew up.
Stephen's family recall the day he was murdered and the feelings and emotions they experienced. They talk about how it changed their perception of how included they felt in their own society.
This short film could be drawn on as part of the annual national Stephen Lawrence Day on 22 April. For more information visit the
Please note that this short film contains language that may cause offence. Teacher review is recommended prior to use in class.
Teacher Notes
Possible areas of enquiry:
These questions can be single lesson titles within a larger scheme of learning or big enquiry questions to inform a unit of work. In which case, this short film can be used as a stimulus to support any of these areas.
- Does increased diversity jeopardise community cohesion?
- Has immigration led to more tension and friction within communities?
- Should Britain do more to help migrant communities and those seeking to come to Britain?
- Does the government do enough to protect and promote tolerance and the rights of diverse groups?
Before watching the film
This short film is suitable for students aged 14-16, however it is important to preface that some background knowledge of the murder of Stephen Lawrence should be addressed prior to showing the film in class.
This could be through using an article outlining the particulars of the case either as a home learning task or within the lesson._
During the lesson - Before watching the film
To begin, encourage students to become familiar with some of the key vocabulary that is used in the film or recap it if they have already learnt these terms: Commonwealth, Diversity, Multiculturalism, Identity.
As a class, you could also begin to note reasons why people migrate and why people in the Commonwealth are more likely to come to Britain than any other European country. (People from the Commonwealth are more likely to come to the UK than any other country due to shared history, culture and language).
NB: Discuss some of the social, economic and political reasons why people migrate and how that can impact the UK. (5 min)
While watching the film - Activity
It might be worthwhile to watch the first 04.18 minutes and ask your students to take notes of what they notice.
Task - I notice and I wonder:
Students can note down everything they notice about what life was like in Britain for new migrants and what society was like.
Inform students of key areas to look out for (e.g. diversity, integration and community cohesion), then ask them to consider what they notice around these key topics.
You can also ask your students to write a list of things they wonder about in the form of a question.
NB: You could ask students to feedback their wonder questions and use this to lead a class discussion or alternatively begin to question students about the experiences of ethnic minorities in the UK over the last 50 years. What do they think has changed today and what has stayed the same?
Continue watching the film
Task - students watch (04.20 鈥 06.37) and answer the following:
- What was Britain like in the 90s?
- How did Britain change after the death of Stephen Lawrence?
- How was London different to other parts of the UK?
- Why and how did immigration impact Britain and race relations?
Pause the film (06.38)
Task: In a turn and talk activity ask students to discuss the following in pairs:
- How might the integration of different communities help build community cohesion?
- What might be some of the challenges?
Continue watching the film to the end (06.38 - 09.41).
NB: Provide additional time for students to complete all questions in relation to the film.
After watching the film - Activity
After watching this short film, it might be a good point to get students reflecting on their own identity and how it is shaped.
NB: Ask them the question - what makes someone feel or identify as British? Elicit feedback and further probe where necessary in order to flesh out more concepts.
Reflection task:
Allow time for review and feedback and for students to apply what they have learnt from the film, linking this to the extended writing section of the GCSE citizenship exam.
Working in groups of three, students could discuss the question before answering it.
Give them time to read each statement and link it to one of the key aspects of the film.
They could then label each other A, B, C: Person A answers one of the statements, person B must disagree with person A's answer and person C summarises both points and states which was the stronger argument.
Talking through statements prior to writing can help students make deeper and broader connections between different ideas, issues and concepts.
This will also be a good opportunity to get students to provide a reasoned and well-justified judgment and practise providing an alternative perspective.
Extended writing statements:
- 'Immigration led to more tension and friction within communities鈥 how far do you agree?
- 鈥楧iversity and better integration will help further in promoting respect and tolerance and building community cohesion' how far do you agree?
- 鈥榃e should be free to identify as anything we like鈥 how far do you agree?
This short film supports understanding around GCSE citizenship, linking to concepts surrounding living in the UK.
It provides for an intrinsic look at the life of Stephen Lawrence and his family, from his parents' migration from Jamaica through to his early developments and integration within their community, as well as wider British society.
This short film also explores Commonwealth migration and some of the challenges surrounding increased diversity on community cohesion.
The detailed personal accounts from Stephen's family members provide a unique opportunity to reflect on issues surrounding individual identity and culture.
The discussion surrounding identity promotes dialogue around what makes one feel British, how we identify our self and what contributes to our identity.
Racism and institutional racism. video
A look at how Stephen Lawrence's murder provoked an extensive inquiry into institutional racism within the police force.
Democracy and justice. video
A look at the public inquiry into the failures of the original murder investigation and the subsequent changes in the law that meant suspects could be retried.
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